The Untold Chronicles (Part 1)
by Elfyna
Summary: It is said that some lives are linked across Time, connected by an ancient calling that echoes through the Ages...Destiny. Can Merlin evade his? As two heroines are introduced into the legend, both his and Arthur's lives change forever. Romance guaranteed.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Come on Gwen, not far now. Once we've reached Camelot we can get something to eat and rest." Marina herself was fighting to keep going. She had been trudging through the woods for hours now, and her feet were starting to complain. So was her stomach in fact. Her last meal had been three days ago, meagre portions of bread and water was all she'd had to go on since then. Her determination was the only thing that kept her from giving up – that and the fact that she was not alone. She had promised her mother that she would do whatever it took to reach Camelot, and she had to. No matter how hard the journey was, she had to. It was her mother's dying wish that she leave the village and finds work in Camelot. Her childhood friend had refused to let her go on this perilous journey on her own, and thus had insisted on coming. Although Marina had protested, secretly she was glad to have her friend by her side; somehow it made all the hardships they came across a lot easier for Marina to bear. Her friend's voice drifted amongst her thoughts and she realised that Gwen had been talking to her for a while.

"I really hope we do manage to find a job in Camelot, or we're in big trouble. I suppose we could always try to get a job as maids in the castle, if all else fails, although I don't fancy cleaning tables and making beds for the rest of my life..."

Gwen's brave attempts at humour raised Marina's spirit a little, as it never failed to. "I'm sure being a maid in the royal household can't be all that bad." She said, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"Oh, oh, 'cause mucking out stables, cleaning floors, serving others and doing the laundry is not all that bad?!"

"Ha! Okay, point made. But it does mean that you get an actual room to sleep in..."

"Oh yeah, a room in the servant's quarters. How nice."

"Well, beats this anyway"

"Yeah you're right there...But then anything is better than sleeping on damp grass crawling with God knows what, with wolves probably lurking around and nothing to eat but bread and water. And no shelter. Okay. Rant over."

Whilst Marina was trying not to worry her friend, she was actually concerned as to what she would do when they reached Camelot. She didn't have a particular skill or talent, apart from an interest in science, which she shared with her friend. But she had never been able to nurture that interest; there was no place for science in her village. Especially not the kind she was interested in, which was not really science at all, but magic. She knew that the practice of magic would earn a token straight to the stake, but she couldn't help being fascinated by it. There were so many tales of great sorcerers who achieved great things through its use. Her mother used to sing about such sorcerers, and tell her many tales from the day when magic was not regarded as something to be feared, but as an art.

"Marina? Horses coming our way I think..."

Gwen was right; the sound of horses' hoofs on the damp forest soil could be heard echoing through the silence.

"Hey Marina, I think we should ask the way to Camelot"

"But we know our way to Camelot."

"No, you do, or at least you said you did, but I'm sure I've seen this tree about three times now..."

"You're right, okay I will. Maybe they'll take pity on us and give us a ride on that horse..."

"Don't count on it, I bet its some stinking arrogant knight or highly placed buffoon of the court who likes to spend his nights drinking and his days terrorising villagers."

"What is it with you and knights? Why do you hate them so much?"

"You shouldn't even be asking me that question!They're the ones who sit on their backsides when villages like ours get ransacked and people butchered!"

"Well, I heard that one knight, actually I think it was the prince himself, came to the rescue of a village that was raided frequently, and put a stop to it."

"Humph. That was just a device to swell the guy's ego. Nothing to do with knights actually having any kind of decency."

"Well, I hope that if we do end up working as maids you won't be serving knights."

The horse and its rider suddenly came into their field of vision, and Marina's breath was cut short as she saw who it was. "Gwen. It's the Prince."

"How do you know?"

Marina couldn't explain it, but there was something about the young man. Something almost...magical. And she knew that her friend felt it too. Suddenly, she realised that he was not alone. Beside him was a young man, tall, with dark hair, and handsome enough in his own way, but what captured Marina's attention was something else. His eyes, the colour of running water, entranced her, and seemed to reach deep inside her soul, stirring something within. There's definitely something magical about this one, she thought.

"Ladies, may I interrupt your journey for a quick enquiry?" the young prince asked.

Trying to shake off the strange feeling, Marina swallowed hard and walked towards the Prince and stranger. However, she found she could not speak, for the eyes of the stranger captivated her so intensely she found it hard to concentrate. Thankfully, Gwen was not as debilitated by the stranger's gaze and came to Marina's rescue.

"Of course you may, Sire."

"I'm in search of the King of Camelot's ward, Lady Morgana. She has been missing for over three months now. Have you by any chance seen or heard about her on your travels?"

"No, sorry Sire, we have been travelling for a while now and we have not come across anyone." Gwen paused before asking,

"Sire, we, ourselves, are seeking the city of Camelot, would you kindly point us in the right direction?"

The prince considered Gwen's question for a few seconds, as if unsure as to its meaning. Marina noticed that his gaze had not left her friend since he'd first laid eyes on her. She could see him taking in the long, velvety locks that hung gracefully over her shoulders, her big, expressive brown eyes, and her soft, creamy complexion. Although Gwen had never been aware of her own attraction, Marina doubted it had eluded the Prince. Finally he spoke.

"We are headed back there now. Perhaps you'd like to join us?"

Marina saw that the stranger's eyebrows shot up as the Prince made the suggestion, as if he was not expecting it. She hoped the Prince would introduce himself and his companion soon; she hated to be kept in the dark for too long. Gwen shot her a look, as if to ask what she should reply to the Prince's unexpected suggestion. Marina gave her a slight nod of the head, and Gwen accepted the Prince's offer.

"Thank you, this would be greatly appreciated. We've been travelling for days without certainty or clear directions."

"Here, have my horse, you and your companion can take turns."

"Oh no Sire we couldn't! Walking will do just fine!"

Marina made a mental note of reminding Gwen of the conversation they just had about knights and princes later, as she saw, albeit with some amusement, her friend furiously blushing as she, no doubt, recalled the earlier conversation they had too.

"No no, I insist. You are clearly tired and in great need of rest. Oh, and I almost forgot, I have not introduced myself. I am Prince Arthur of Camelot. And this here is my servant, Merlin." The stranger bowed his head awkwardly as the Prince introduced him. "And you are?"

"My name is Gwen, and this is my close friend Marina."

The Prince looked somewhat surprised, "Your name is Gwen too?" Then, almost to himself, he said "I did not think it was a common name..."

"It's not. With all due respect Sire, although people may be allocated to certain classes, names are not. Gwen is a name good as any and I – "

"Oh, I'm sorry, I should have made myself clearer...I only meant that I didn't think it was a widely used name...We also have a Gwen back in the castle..."

"Oh...Oh I see..." Gwen just about managed to hide her embarrassment, hoping that the Prince would not notice.

Having gone through the introductions, Gwen attempted a few more protestations, but realising that the Prince could not be swayed, she mounted on the horse and, somewhat embarrassed, proceeded to fall into deep conversation with the Prince.

"Great" Marina thought, "Now I'm left to make conversation with the strange awkward servant with the weird eyes. This should be fun."

Merlin clearly was not one used to initiating conversation, therefore, after a short and uncomfortable silence, Marina decided to break it.

"So...you're a Prince's servant. Must be fun."

"Yeah", Merlin shook his head in mock agreement. "It's great! I get to change his bed sheets, clean his boots, polish his armour... So much fun."

"Merlin I'm not deaf you know, I can hear you. And just for that you'll have to muck out the stables when we get to Camelot."

Merlin gave Marina a look that clearly spelled out "you see my point", and the latter couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"I see your 'prince' is not much of a prince in character!" she said between laughs, "How did he even hear you anyway?"

"I have no idea..."

Marina could see a hint of a smile forming on the young man's lips, and she caught herself wondering how handsome he would be when he genuinely smiled. "Oh for god's sake, get a grip" she thought. She felt his gaze upon her and burnt up at the thought of him being able to read her mind.

"What's your business in Camelot anyway? If you don't mind my asking...Do you live there?

"No, my friend and I live in a village further north from here. It's hard to find much money or food there, so my mother advised me to come here, to earn a living in Camelot."

"Oh. So you have no relatives here? You might find it hard...Everyone knows each other in Camelot, and newcomers are often received with a fair amount of suspicion."

"It's the only chance we have. It is the closest city to our village. We were hoping that the King might show us a little mercy and perhaps take us on as maids to work in the castle."

"You could speak to Arthur. He might be able to help you."

"Do you think?"

"It's worth a try. What've you got to lose? We'll be reaching Camelot in a relatively short amount of time so you should talk to him now...if you want to that is."

Thanking Merlin, Marina caught up with Gwen and the Prince, who were still engrossed in what must have been a very interesting conversation, for when Marina called out to them, neither seemed to have heard her.

"Prince Arthur!"

She was being ignored!

Merlin had joined her and called out to Arthur, who eventually turned around.

"Arthur, Marina has been telling me that she hopes to gain an audience with the King to ask if she and her companion may become maids in the ca-

"Merlin, I know."

"-stle, you see, they don't have any re-"

"Merlin. I know."

"-latives so it would be very difficult for them to find a living in Camelot. I really think you should-"

"MERLIN!"

"Yes?"

"Do you ever listen? I know all that. Gwen has told me everything. And I've told her that I shall help in any way I can. Now quit rambling."

Marina found it hard to believe their luck. She had never imagined that the Prince would care about their misfortune let alone offer his help. As she and Merlin walked side by side, now surrounded by an easy silence, she saw the sun was about to set, and the castle of Camelot came into focus in the distance, and thanked God that Gwen and herself had come across the Prince and Merlin, and could only pray that the King would show them as much kindness as they had.

 **oOo**

As they entered the castle, Gwen couldn't help but gaze in awe around her, due to of the magnificence and sheer size of the fortress. The architecture itself was a breathtaking mix of art and gracefulness, emitting such a strong sense of character and spirit that she felt the castle would soon come alive in front of her very eyes.

"My father is with his council at this moment. I shall introduce your case to him myself when he has finished."

The Prince had been so polite and pleasant to her that she found it hard not to smile each time he turned to her. . Gwen found both his looks and character captivating; she felt a secret attraction towards his soft crystal blue eyes which were so perfectly framed by his golden hair.

The reason as to his concern for her and Marina's well-being was beyond her, but she couldn't deny the fact that his presence had been a blessing to both Marina and herself. It seemed that not all rich people were selfish; in fact, this one was very much selfless. "He'll make a great King someday", she thought. "I hope he inherited his kindness from his father and that the King will understand and help us as his son has done already." Marina came to stand by her side, smiling.

"So, I see you found your Prince Charming!"

"Shut up it's not like that!" Said Gwen, smiling despite herself.

"Uh-uh, yep, no, it's not...not AT ALL..."

"Marina! I've only just met him okay!"

"Well that hasn't stopped you from being glued to his side from the moment you met him! C'mon admit it!"

Gwen was accustomed to Marina's teasing. It had always been this way, and she'd learnt not to take the bait, although in all honesty, she wouldn't have minded further attention from the Prince. But then, who would.

"Gwen, come back to earth! Stop thinking about him and actually listen to me!"

"Shush what if he hears you?!"

"Pff, I bet you his hearing is really bad, I mean he did have to listen to you all afternoon..." Marina gave her a quick, cheeky grin and walked away towards the Prince's servant.

"My father will see you now."

Gwen followed the Prince into the glorious great hall, stopping just before the King's throne. Another throne was to his left, but it was empty. "Probably the prince's" she thought. The King did not seem to be in an agreeable mood; his blue eyes seemed troubled, and his forehead furrowed as if he was extremely worried. "This is not good" thought Gwen. Marina came to stand beside her, whilst Merlin stayed a few yards away. Gwen readied herself to speak out but the Prince had already started explaining.

"Father, I encountered these two young women on my way back to Camelot. Their village has been burnt to the ground and their families chased out of their homes. They were headed for Camelot to seek refuge and earn a living. However, having no relatives or acquaintances here, they may find this task hard, if not impossible."

"Well? I am extremely sorry to hear of this, but what is it that you want me to do?"

"I ask for you to consider the possibility of undertaking these women as maids to work here."

"No. I have no need for further servants. We already have all we need."

"Father, please. Extra servants can do no harm, and some of them are getting old. They are starting to find the workload difficult to cope with."

"Arthur. Why is it you seek my permission when you always end up countering my decisions with your own?"

"I am not countering your decisions, merely expressing my own opinion on the matter."

The King fell silent. Marina and Gwen looked at each other, certain that he would refuse. Gwen's heart felt as if it would explode, she couldn't bear the silence any longer. Marina's and her fate were at stake here. If the king refused to take them, where would they go? What would they do? She waited for the King's reply, her hands trembling and heart hammering in her chest. "Dear god", she thought, "please let him say yes."

"Arthur."

"Yes father?"

"Be aware that you shall be fully responsible for these young women. If anything goes wrong, you shall be the one I will speak to. Is that clear?"

"Yes father, thank you."

Gwen could hardly stand still. The King had agreed! She looked at Marina who clearly felt as elated as she, and thanked God for their good fortune. The King looked at Marina and Gwen for a moment, and finally addressed them.

"I trust you are familiar with the rules of Camelot?"

Marina spoke up, answering the King's question.

"Yes my lord, we are. It is common knowledge that the practice of magic in Camelot is forbidden."

"Not just the practice. Anyone having anything to do with it shall be executed. I trust that you shall not be foolish enough to break this rule?"

"No, we shall not."

Gwen could sense Marina's frustration, but hoped that the King did not. Marina's strange fascination with magic could lead them into trouble here. Although she herself felt the ban of its practice unfair, she was not as passionate about the subject as her friend was. She would have to speak about this with Marina later on.

Arthur signalled to them that it was time to leave the Hall, having gotten what they wanted. Once outside, the Prince asked Merlin to show the girls the way to the servants' quarters, and left.

"The rooms aren't very big, and you will have to share." Said Merlin apologetically.

"As long as there's a bed and a roof over our heads, it'll feel like heaven" Replied Marina.

Merlin showed them to the room that they were to share henceforth, and left them to settle.

"Gwen, can you believe our luck?! We've been rescued by a Prince, reached Camelot in one piece and got ourselves a job!"

"I know! I can hardly believe it myself!"

"Oh! Two beds! The way Merlin described it was as if there was only one bed that we'd have to share! That's what I thought anyway."

"Ooh, Merlin now is it?"

"Well I can't very well go round calling him 'the servant'."

"For all the teasing you've done, I think that you've got something going on yourself!"

"Oh, don't be ridiculous!" Marina laughed "He freaks me out with those eyes of his anyway...I feel as if he can read minds or something."

"Wouldn't matter though would it? I mean, you've got nothing to hide...unless you _do_ like him in which case it's another matter altogether!"

"I see what you're trying to do, don't think I don't!"

"What?!"

"You're trying to keep the conversation from coming towards you and Arthur!"

"I am NOT!"

"Yes you are."

"Marina! Look; he's a prince. I'm a servant. Would I really be stupid enough to fall in love with him when I know nothing can happen?"

"Oh please, what an ancient excuse! Like you can help who you fall in love with!"

"Well, I can."

"No you can't."

"Marina?"

"Yup?"

"Just go to sleep."

"Haha, fat chance of that happening! This conversation is too interesting!"

"Not if I stop talking."

"Oh don't do that!...Gwen?...Gwen?...Oh c'mon!... Damn."

As she drifted off to sleep, Gwen couldn't help but recount the moments she had spent with the prince, and although she knew that it was not something that could ever happen, she let herself dream of what could be, if only she was of noble blood. She was unaware of the smile that formed on her lips as she fell fast asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Many weeks had gone by; Marina and Gwen had both gotten accustomed to the tasks that were required of them, and began thoroughly enjoying themselves. Of course being a servant in a Royal household was not easy, but the friendships they had forged during their stay made it all more than worthwhile. Marina was happy, and hoped that her mother could somehow feel the happiness she felt every day.

"Marina! Marina, wait!"

Marina saw Guinevere hurrying towards her and smiled. Not her friend Gwen, but the maid who Arthur had referred to when they had first met in the forest. She hadn't known her for very long, but the very little she did know of her made her sure that Guinevere was a genuine and kind-hearted person.

"Marina, I need you to do me a favour!"

"Sure, what's up?"

"Gaius asked me to bring him an ingredient he needs for one of his potions, from the market, but there's something really important that I have to do. Could you please go to the market for me instead?"

"Er, yeah okay I guess I could, I just need you to tell me what he needs."

"It's a rare herb, he didn't tell me the name, he just said that the lady on the stall would know what it was."

"Oh, okay... Well, where is her stall?"

"She's set up a tent towards the far end of the market...you can't miss it, it's bright red.

"Thanks, I'll go straight away."

"Great! Thanks Marina, I owe you!"

"Don't mention it!"

Marina set off for the market, wondering what it was that could be so urgent for Guinevere to ask her to go instead. Lost in her thoughts, she reached the market, not paying attention to all the haggling and selling going on around her. She loved the market, strange, colourful things were on display everywhere, and she often liked to imagine what they were for. Pulling herself from her thoughts, she located the tent, and went inside; hoping that the lady would know what herb it was she needed. The tent did not seem big from the outside, but once Marina stepped in, she gasped. The tent was big. Very big. And full of jewels and diamonds which were hanging from the ceiling. Dream catchers were strewn around the tent, twisting and turning to a non-existent breeze. Marina seriously considered turning back; it did not seem like the tent of someone who sold herbs...More like a tent of a fortune teller.

"What is it you want my dear?"

Marina spun around, only to find herself facing a beautiful woman, dressed in an elegant, deep sea-green gown. Her green eyes seem to cut through Marina, "Just like Merlin" she thought. Her red, fiery hair hung loosely on her shoulders, framing her beautiful, graceful face. Marina could not breathe. The woman's presence, her aura, was too strong, too impressive.

"Do not be afraid my child. Speak up, and name your business here."

The woman's hold over Marina seemed to suddenly wear off, letting her come to her senses.

"I come from the castle, the court physician Gaius needs a rare herb and..." Marina's voice trailed off as she felt increasingly stupid. What kind of an errand had Guinevere sent her on? She didn't even know what kind of herb it was!

"I know which herb you speak of, and I shall give it to you, but first, let me read your fortune."

"No thank you ma'am, I have to get back as soon as I have gotten what I need."

"Do not tell me you do not believe in this art? I know you do child. I can feel the pull it has on you. Magic."

Marina gasped. The woman had spoken as if she knew her, as if she really could see through her.

"I...I don't know what you mean..." Aware that her voice sounded weak, Marina felt sure that the fortune teller would not believe her.

"Oh I think you do. But you fight it. You fight your powers. You need to embrace your magic."

"Excuse me?!" Marina felt as if the floor was going to give way underneath her. Magic? Powers? What was this woman talking about?

"My child, you are magical. This is why you are drawn to magic. This is why Uther Pendragon's ban of magic infuriates you so much."

And with this affirmation, the beautiful woman crossed the short distance between her and Marina, and grasped her hand, palm up, inspecting it intently. Suddenly, she looked at Marina, her eyes full of urgency. She grasped her by the shoulders.

"My dear. You must accept your powers. You must! The destiny of Camelot depends on that."

"WHAT?! Are you mad?"

"The destiny of a great Kingdom lies on the shoulders of a young boy. It is this boy whom you must assist and protect, with your powers."

"Okay, Lady, with all due respect, I don't understand a thing you are saying, and besides, what kingdom? What young boy?"

"You shall understand in time, but first, it is most important that you learn to master your powers."

"This is crazy. I don't know any boy who practices magic and I certainly have NO powers."

"But you do Marina. Think. There is someone. A boy that you know, one with whom you share a particular bond; that of magic."

"Nope. I'm sorry, the only boy I know is Merlin."

"Yes, Merlin."

"What?! You mean _Merlin_ -? No, you're wrong. So incredibly wrong. Merlin is just an ordinary servant, just as I am. Look I'm sorry but I really need to get back."

"Marina, if you don't accept your powers, all will be lost."

Marina was really starting to feel angry. It was all going so fast; too many absurd details were being thrown at her, making it difficult for her to keep up. Who did this woman think she was, telling her that the destiny of Camelot depended on her and Merlin? Like that was likely. Camelot didn't mean much to her and anyway, and more importantly, she had no magic in her. At all. Didn't that woman understand?

"I HAVE NO POWERS!"

"Think what you will child, but if you do not come to your senses, I will have to implicate myself further than I already have done."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

The woman took Marina's hands in both of her own and closed her eyes. Trying to pull her hand away, Marina found that she couldn't. Panic flooded through her as she felt a slow, burning, consuming heat seemingly originating from the woman's hands coursing through her body, with such intensity that Marina felt sure she would burn to death. Suddenly, as quick as it had come, it vanished, leaving her tired and drained of energy. 'I have got to leave' she thought, 'this woman is dangerous', and mustering all the energy she could, wrenched her hand away and stumbled out of the tent, making her way back towards the castle as fast as her trembling legs permitted her. It was only once she was safe inside the castle walls that she let herself stop and rest. She then realised that she had left without the herb.

 **oOo**

Gwen was getting ready for bed when Marina came in, looking unusually tired and somewhat upset. "Rough day?"

"Uh-uh"

"Marina?"

"Mmm?"

"Did you have a fight with Merlin?"

"What? No? Why? Did he say something?"

"No calm down! You just look a bit upset, so I thought I'd ask..."

"Oh... Oh no it's not that..."

"What then?"

Marina took a deep breath, and launched into a retelling of the afternoon's events. Although Gwen did not interrupt, a million questions buzzed through her head.

"So you've never met this woman before?"

"No."

"Hmm, it's strange that she knew your name. And your fascination with magic. And the fact that you know Merlin..."

"I know. But I'm sure I've never seen her before...Gwen...she said I was magical...that I had powers."

Gwen could see a glimmer of hope in Marina's eyes. She knew that her friend would almost kill to be amongst those who had magic in them. However, she owed her friend the truth...Besides, reason itself showed that this was not possible.

"That's not possible though. Things like that are inherited aren't they? And your mum or dad did not practice magic...No; she must have been putting on a show, hoping you'd give her some money for all her troubles probably..."

Still, the explanation did not appear to satisfy Marina. Gwen soon found out why.

"There's more to it than that...When I came back to the castle, I saw Guinevere. I tried explaining to her what happened, but she just stared at me as if I was mad."

"Well, that's not surprising...it must have sounded slightly...fantastical."

"But that's not it you see, that's not it. Because Guinevere then told me that _she had never seen me that afternoon._ Someone else wanted me there."

"That's not possible Marina. It can't be."

"Unless magic was used."

"Even so, who would want you to be there?"

"I don't know...Maybe it was the woman herself."

"Marina, I don't like this. We left to get away from trouble, not run into more of it."

"I know, I know..."

As they both settled into their beds to sleep, Gwen thought of how strange all this was, and started to doubt that coming to Camelot had been the right decision to make.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Gwen?" A servant was hurrying towards her, holding a small bag, "could you bring this to Gaius please? I'd get Merlin to do it but he's busy attending to Arthur."

"Of course."

"Thanks."

Gwen took the bag of herbs and made her way towards Gaius' chambers. Finding the room empty, she placed it on the table and was about to leave when something caught her eye. A book entitled "The miracle remedies of nature" was positioned on the table, begging to be read. Gwen checked that she was definitely alone, and in a flash, was sitting down, and leafing through it. She was so engrossed in its contents that she did not notice the figure standing in the doorway.

"Interesting, is it?"

Gwen dropped the book in surprise and stood up, ashamed at having been caught.

"I'm sorry sir I...I didn't mean to pry."

"That's quite alright. I'm just surprised that anyone would find the contents of the book so interesting that they'd sit here for hours."

"I haven't been..."

Panicking, Gwen realised that she _had_ been reading for over two hours! She had so much to do and she'd managed to waste her time reading a stupid book on a subject she probably would never be able to learn much about!

"Do you have an interest in science?"

"Yes, I do, but I've never been able to take it anywhere..."

Gaius looked at Gwen for a few moments before finally saying: "You know...Merlin started out as my apprentice, but didn't get very far...His interest in science is practically non-existent, and Arthur keeps him too busy for him to even attempt assisting me. It would be nice to have an assistant who really cared about their work for a change..."

Gwen was dying to ask him to take her on as apprentice, but she knew it was not possible...She had already benefitted from such good fortunes, asking for more would be madness...And yet...

"How would you feel about becoming an apprentice to an old physician like me? Wouldn't be much fun, but you wouldn't have to hide to read that book..."

Gwen was at loss as to what to say...Her dearest wish had been to become a physician, and here was the first step to realising that wish! Gaius saw the pure joy displayed on Gwen's face, and wasted no time in informing her that as soon as the King's permission was obtained, she could start work. Gwen doubted things could get any better than this; and for the millionth time in these past few weeks, closed her eyes and thanked God. Her eyes were gleaming and sparkling as tears embraced them, drowned them until they finally leaked onto her cheeks. There were no words to describe her happiness as she looked on excitedly at the old man's soft yet fragile features.

'I'm to be Gaius' apprentice?!' She thought, 'how is all this happening to me?!'

Moments later Gwen managed to mumble,

'Um... thank you Gaius! I...I don't know what to say!'

'Say nothing my child, there is no need to thank me! Such talent cannot be wasted. Now hurry along, I have a potion to prepare for one of the knights, apparently he was knocked unconscious in a challenge against Prince Arthur!'

The sound of the Prince's name snapped Gwen out of her trance only to pull her right into another and for some peculiar reason she felt her heart rate double. She quickly turned on her heals and started for the door. Gwen's emotions were knocking against her chest; she could yell with joy and happi-

The sound of glass crashing against the marble tiles shook Gwen back to reality. She had walked right into Gaius' potion table which stood inches from the door.

'Oh God... No!' she groaned.

'Just leave it... its fine! I'll get Merlin to sort it out when he gets back... but take care now my child.' Gwen was relieved to hear the amusement in Gaius' voice that left no room for anger or annoyance. 'What is going on today?' she mused as Gaius' chuckle carried through the corridor behind her.

She had to get to Marina.

Gwen couldn't help but wonder how her best friend would react. She would be so proud... if not slightly in disbelief... maybe even hysterical...

'Gwen!'

...She was sure of receiving a 'Marina hug', one that, if survived, was actually really enjoyable!

'GWENEVERE!'

Prince Arthur looked down upon his clearly occupied maid with a concerned frown verging on amusement.

'Sorry Sire... I was just... um... heading toward the servants' quarters' Gwen managed to say while holding her breath and blushing furiously.

'There is no need to apologise; it's just that you looked rather pleased, in fact I would say more joyful. May I be so rude as to ask why?'

'Well Sire... Gaius... he's...'

'Yes?'

'Gaius wants me to be his apprentice,' Gwen managed to blurt out.

She lifted her eyes from the corridor floor to study the prince's face. She wasn't sure what to expect, but when she saw the corners of his lips tug, her heart fluttered, threatening to jump out of her chest.

'That is merely to be expected Gwen!' With that, the Prince winked and brushed past her without looking back.

It took Gwen several minutes to remember how to breathe let alone walk. She felt a tingle in her arm where she had received the smallest of touches from Prince Arthur.

'... way too much...me... apprentice... Gaius...!' Gwen mumbled incoherently, under her breath, as she made her way to Marina.

Marina... her only touch with reality, in fact, her only touch with sanity at this moment in time. Her mind racing with all of the opportunities she imagined obtaining from her new job, Gwen managed to find her way back to the servants' quarters.

'Are you alright?' Marina asked, her words laced with concern as she looked upon her friend who seemed completely lost.

'Marina...'

'Yes? Gwen, what happened? You're scaring me!'

Gwen looked her friend square in the face and screeched,

'I'm Gaius' APPRENTICE!'

Marina's face transformed within seconds from concern to pure joy and relief.

'What... wow...wait, when did you find out?!'

'Just now! I was in Gaius' chamber and there was this book on the table, I only meant to flick through it but then I got so engrossed in it! Oh, pure magic it was! Did you know that the only thing that can cure- oh never mind I'll tell you later...Anyway, as I was saying, I'd started reading the book but then obviously, being me, I got caught. But instead of punishing me, Gaius took me on as his apprentice!'

'Oh Gwen, I'm in wonder. We must have some sort of guardian angel. I can't believe this; you're finally getting what you've always wanted!'

Without warning, Marina launched herself at Gwen. She wrapped her arms around her friend in a steel embrace as pride radiated from her body, simultaneously engulfing Gwen. The force of their embrace caused the two girls to topple over onto Marina's bed where they sat giggling for what seemed to be hours.

 **oOo**

A few days later, Marina was hurrying towards Gaius' chambers to see Gwen. Now that she was working as an apprentice, she didn't see as much of her as she used to. When they both worked as servants, they would often see each other in corridors, or end up being asked to do the same chores. Now though, things were different. To make up for this, Marina went to see Gwen every evening, and they would then make their way to their chambers together. Upon arriving and finding the door closed, Marina knocked, and was let in by Merlin.

"Glad you're here, can't stand much more of this..."

Marina smiled; it always puzzled her, the fact that Merlin disliked science. How on earth did he manage to become Gaius' apprentice initially if he didn't have any interest in it? She had already tried to ask Merlin that, but he just shrugged, as if it was not important, just as he did with many of her questions. In fact, Marina knew virtually nothing of his circumstances. His past, his family, his prospects, were all unknown to her. It pained her in a way. She had known him for a while now, and yet, every time she tried to reach out to him, to find out a bit more, he would close up. She felt as if there was a wall between them, and although she had at first thought she could break through it, she now started to doubt that she would ever learn who he was.

"Look at them. You'd think they were gushing over a baby, not a gooey mixture of God only knows what!"

Merlin grinned at her, and was about to say something else when a huge bang shook up the room. Panicking, Merlin grabbed Marina's hand and ran out of the room. Marina, blinded by all the dust swirling around madly, screamed out for Gwen. Merlin rushed back into the room, leaving Marina behind, to find Gaius and Gwen. For a few excruciatingly long seconds, Marina waited for him to come back with them. Suddenly, she heard laughter. Gwen's laughter. Confused beyond words now, Marina carefully made her way back to the chamber amongst the debris and dust, only to find Gwen and Merlin rolling about on the floor, in hysterical fits of laughter whilst Gaius observed them, an amused expression on his face. Now she was seriously confused.

"What's going on?!"

Gaius proceeded to brushing the dust from his tunic, then answered Marina's question.

"It seems that Gwen got a little over-excited with potion making and poured too much all too quickly"

And on that note, a slight smile formed on Gaius' lips, bewildering Marina even further.

Gwen and Merlin, finally coming out of their hysteria, got up and started putting the room back into place. Marina was about to do the same when suddenly, she felt a strange, intense heat taking hold of her. Reaching out to steady herself, she found Merlin's arm. The latter, sensing her distress, attempted to steady her, but it was no use. The heat had taken away all her energy. She tried to fight it, to keep it from consuming her, but the room had now started spinning, faster and faster, until Marina finally succumbed and let herself fall in Merlin's arms.

 **oOo**

Merlin carried Marina to Gaius' bed, wondering how she had fallen ill so quickly. She had seemed perfectly fine just minutes ago. Perhaps it was all the dust flying around...No, dust wouldn't cause someone to have a fever. Touching her forehead, Merlin winced. She was burning!

"Gaius! Gaius I don't know what's happening to her! She's burning!"

The old Physician touched Marina's forehead, then took her hand in his. His face was etched with concern.

"Gwen, could you get some water please."

As Gwen ran out of the room, Gaius turned to Merlin.

"This is not an ordinary fever Merlin. No one burns up that fast..."

"What are you saying? Do you think this has something to do with magic?!"

"I hope not. Although I would not be surprised if it did."

Merlin looked at Marina, her hand in his, thoughts racing in his mind. For the first time, he took in her gleaming hair that fell down in long, luxurious waves of dark black locks, her smooth olive tone that complemented those deep brown eyes he knew so well. He had to confess: Marina was painfully attractive. Why would anyone want to do this to her? Who could have done this to her? She had no relatives or acquaintances in Camelot...None of this made any sense! Suddenly, he felt her hand twitching in his, and saw her eyes move underneath her eyelids. She was clearly reacting to something...But what?


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Marina opened her eyes only to find herself lying down...on a forest floor by the looks of it. Completely bemused as to how she got there, she tried standing up, gasping as an invisible force forced her back down. Frightened, she tried again, and the same force violently pushed her back down. Trapped, surrounded by darkness and utterly helpless, Marina called out for help. No answer. Several minutes passed, but only the sound of the wind rustling the leaves of the trees could be heard.

"I'm sorry I've had to take such measures, but you must understand my child, it is for your own good."

"You?!"

The elegant, outlandish lady from the tent was slowly advancing towards Marina's helpless, crumpled form, stopping only inches away.

"Don't be afraid; you have the power to escape this."

"Who are you?! Where am I? Why are you doing this?"

"These questions are unimportant."

"Please, I beg of you, bring me back..."

"I already told you, you can leave when you want..."

"But I can't! When I try to stand up I...I get pushed back!"

"Use your powers..."

The Lady's soothing voice calmed Marina's fear and panic, giving way to her anger.

"It's this again isn't it?! I HAVE NO POWERS! DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?!"

"You do child, you do..."

Marina's anger gradually mounted to hysteria, as she realised that this weird, crazy woman was not going to let her go without being satisfied.

"Your powers are dormant, deep within yourself, you just have to reach out..."

"STOP IT! STOP IT; I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANY MORE! DON'T YOU THINK I WOULD HAVE FOUND HOW TO GET IN TOUCH WITH MY POWERS BY NOW? I WOULD _KILL_ TO HAVE THEM! BUT I DON'T, AND I HAVE ACCEPTED THAT NOW...IF I HAD, THEN..."

Unable to carry on, Marina collapsed into tears, sobbing without restraint, rocking back and forth on the dirty forest floor. If only she was magical. She would have been able to save her mother from her fate. Marina could see it all again, as if she was there now, reliving the event. Her mother running for cover to their cottage, during the attack, calling out for her to come back in. Marina had not heard her mother, and had carried on running away, frightened to death, towards the field that was near their village. Her mother had turned back to go get her, but was pierced by a sword before she was able to reach her daughter. Marina had ran back to her mother, screaming, crying, stumbling across dead bodies as she was blinded by the flames that now consumed everything. She could have saved her. With magic, she could have done something.

 **oOo**

"Gaius...Gaius...she's crying! She's...she's crying!"

"What? Are you sure?!"

"Look..."

Merlin could see the tears running down Marina's face, and wondered what was happening...Convinced now that it could not be just an ordinary fever, he was worried. Very, in fact, because he could not even start to guess who was behind this. Or what was happening to her. He found it unbearable, seeing her like this, and yet knowing that he could do nothing. Unless...

"Gaius. I think I should try to wake her..."

"She's too deeply asleep. No amount of shaking would help."

"I meant magically."

"Oh. What if she heard you...or saw..."

"Gaius, we don't know what's happening to her, she's crying for God's sake! I have to do something!"

"Do what you think is best Merlin. But be careful."

Concentrating upon waking Marina, Merlin recalled the incantation needed, and focused all his energy on it.

 _"Ic acwoce the! Ic the bebeode thaet thu me slaepest! Brimstream!"_

Nothing. Merlin tried again, and again, and again...

 **oOo**

Marina had managed to calm down. Although still crying, her tears were silent now...as she slowly wrenched herself from her past and the pain that she had carried with her since her mother's death, she tried to focus on her current situation.

"Stand up."

Through her tears, Marina saw that the woman had walked away, to stand directly opposite where she sat.

"I can't..."

"Yes you can. Stand up."

Marina tried to stand, but her knees gave way underneath her. She was too weak.

"I said _stand UP_!"

The sheer power and violence of the woman's voice shook Marina to her very core, and drew her from her trance. Gathering as much energy as possible, she attempted, once again, to stand, and to her surprise, found that she could. This time, no force had knocked her down.

"Good. Now, I want you to attack me."

"What?"

No matter how hazy everything was, or how tired her brain was, Marina knew one thing. This woman was definitely mad.

"Come on."

"I can't!"

"Is that all you can ever say?! I can't, I can't! Pathetic!"

The woman's face had hardened and twisted into a scowl, as she looked disdainfully at Marina. Raising her hands, she looked fixedly at her, her eyes seeming to change colour.

 _"Forbearne! Akwele!"_

The last thing Marina saw was a fireball hurtling towards her at full speed, before passing out, crumpling onto the ground once more.

 **oOo**

 _"Ic acwoce the! Ic the bebeode thaet thu me slaepest! Brimstream!"_

"Merlin, I don't think it's powerful enough. There's no point in trying anymore. Nothing is happening...and Gwen will be coming back any second now.

"Once more, let me try once more."

"Merlin-"

Drowning out Gaius' voice, Merlin focused everything on the incantation. It was the only thing he could do to bring her back, and he wanted to give it all he had.

 _"Ic acwoce the! Ic the bebeode thaet thu me slaepest! Brimstream!"_

Before he could even react, Marina had woken up, wide eyed and gasping for air, her tear streaked face terrified. Grabbing Merlin's shirt, she looked up at him, her eyes searching his.

"How? How do you do it?"

The intensity of her gaze agitated him. She had always avoided looking at him straight in the eyes for some reason, and yet here she was, looking deep into them, as if she thought some answer was hidden there.

"Do what? What are you talking about? Marina?"

Any strength that she had managed to gather was leaving her, and Merlin was obliged to bring himself closer to her for him to be able to hear; her voice had quietened down to a mere whisper. What she murmured in his ear was enough to turn his blood cold.

"Show me. Merlin, please, show me, help me! Show me how to do magic!"

It was impossible! She couldn't know about his gift! Panicking, needing to know how she had discovered his secret, Merlin took her hand, and was about to ask her what was happening to her, when she suddenly went limp, and blacked out for the second time.

 **oOo**

"Merlin's magic may be strong, but he still has much to learn."

Marina was back in the dark forest, limbs aching, head pounding. Sheer desperation had pushed her to say what she had to Merlin. Looking back, she realised how foolish she must have sounded. Perhaps they would denounce her to the King, and she would be burnt.

"Well...if you won't accept your magic, I shall have to shock you into using it."

"Don't you think you've shocked me enough?"

"Obviously not, if you are still unwilling to accept what I am telling you."

Too worn out to tell the woman for the thousandth time that she had no powers, Marina simply hung her head down and listened to her, hoping that somehow, all of this would disappear and she would be back amongst her friends, enjoying the moment.

Suddenly, Marina realised that she could no longer hear the woman's voice. Looking around her, she saw that she was now alone again, and fear swamped through her as she imagined what the madwoman had meant by "shocking her". Hearing strange sounds, ones that did not belong to the forest, she stood up, shaking a little, trying to identify its origin. As it got louder and louder, Marina looked around widely, now desperately trying to figure out what it was. Then, a deep growl sounded behind her. Marina turned around just in time to see a wolf leaping towards her, claws out, ready to tear her apart. Marina screamed, terror paralysing her. As she screamed, she felt something within her stir, something she had only felt once before, when she had first met Merlin. A deafening crash was heard, and as she looked at where the wolf should have landed, she saw that it had been propelled half a meter away, and was now lying cold on the floor.

"Well done."

Marina spun round to find herself face to face with the woman, who was now beaming at her.

"Believe me now?"

"What?"

"You don't think that wolf's trajectory changed all by itself now do you?"

"I don't. But whatever it was that happened, I didn't do it."

"Oh come on Marina! Does it not seem a bit too much of a coincidence that just as you stretch out your hands, the wolf gets thrown backwards?"

"I did not – "

But she had. Could it be? Could this woman really be telling the truth? Marina nearly let herself be swayed, until she suddenly remembered something.

"It can't be. In fact, it's impossible. Magic is inherited. No one in my family has ever had it."

"All is not as you think it is child."

"What do you mean? What's that supposed to mean?"

"It is not for me to tell you, you will have to find that out for yourself. I think you are now ready to get back to your friends. Until we meet again Marina..."

And with this, the lady bowed her head, and disappeared. Marina, unable to stay alert any longer let herself fall to the ground, still seeing the woman's graceful smile as she slipped away.

 **oOo**

Merlin breathed a sigh of relief as Marina finally opened her eyes. He had started to think that she wouldn't come back. But now that she was back, he had a problem. A big one.

"Marina, thank goodness!" Gaius hurried over to Marina, motioning for Gwen to bring him the water she had gotten.

"I'm just going to examine you to make sure nothing is out of place."

Still under shock, Marina simply nodded and let Gaius do his work. As he checked her arm for broken bones, Merlin saw that she had winced slightly. There was a huge cut running from her shoulder down to her elbow. Merlin frowned. That cut had not been there before and yet she hadn't left the bed. Gaius treated the cut, bandaged it, and then turned to Gwen.

"Could you please prepare a sleeping draft? She's going to need some rest but might find it difficult to sleep after what she's been through."

Merlin decided to see if he could gently glean any information on what had happened whilst Gwen was busy getting the draft done.

"Marina? Marina, why did you need to use magic?"

She was looking at him; intently. But no words came out. She did not want to tell him.

"What happened? Tell me!"

With what seemed a colossal effort, she took a deep breath, and spoke.

"It was the fever...I guess I must have...been working too much...got the better of me..."

"But it was more than a fever! You were crying, you even screamed at some point!"

"Hallucinations...from...fever..."

Too tired to carry on, Marina gave up, and closed her eyes, leaving Merlin thoughtful as to what she had said. Once she had been given the draft and was fast asleep and Gwen had gone back to her chambers, Gaius voiced his concern.

"She's not telling us everything. Something happened to her. Something bad enough to shock her."

"And that cut...I don't understand how it got there..."

"Merlin...Although we can be sure of nothing at the moment, make sure you keep an eye on her, she could be in danger..."

Knowing that Gaius was right, Merlin looked over to where Marina slept deeply, and wondered exactly what the poor girl had gone through, and what had pushed her to make such a disturbing request towards him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

It had been six months since Morgana had disappeared, yet King Uther continued to send his Knights and his only son in search of his ward. Arthur could not help but feel pessimistic about the whole situation. Surely, if Morgana was to be found, she would have appeared by now, especially seeing as there seemed to be search parties out every day.

Arthur paced his room as he thought of the extent of loss they had sustained on these quests; he had already lost many of his fine Knights on such searches. Arthur was of course concerned about the well-being of Morgana and it pained him dearly to think of the danger she could be in, but his father's mental state was a whole new issue. Uther was suffering; his obsession with both the search for Morgana and her absence seemed to be troubling him beyond the realms of sanity. He was left weak and mentally fragile. Who could have foreseen such a fate of pure misery and desperation?

Arthur urged himself to regain control of his emotions... he had to be strong... for his father, his King, for Morgana and for Camelot! With these thoughts came a great burden that pressed heavily on the Prince's shoulders, visibly weighing him down. What was he to do? How could he help his father and Morg-?

A knock interrupted Arthur's thoughts.

"Come in."

A guard entered into the Prince's chambers, his eyes intense with urgency.

"Sire, the King requested your presence immediately."

"Of course." Replied the prince as he followed his messenger to the council chambers.

Arthur stood inches away from his father's throne. He searched the King's face for any signs of improvement but was disappointed to see that his eyes still burned with sorrow.

"Arthur,"

"Yes father,"

"I need you to send out more men to search the woods."

"But, father, a search party has just returned this morning. They need to rest before they can go out again."

"Do _not_ question my orders! Send out another party; we have enough Knights. I want you to join them." The king paused; his face softened as his rage subsided, giving way to grief and desperation. "Arthur, you don't understand, I promised Morgana's father that I would protect his daughter! I cannot lose her now, I need her found!" Frustration consumed the King's face; his eyes screamed with pain as he met Arthur's gaze, momentarily, before the Prince looked away. Uther's emotions were too raw to contain, they seemed to pierce through the air, straight into Arthur's soul, silencing his protests.

"Yes, Sire...but ...I request the presence of a healer on our journey. It would help elongate the search as well as our efficiency,"

"Yes, yes. I'm sure Gaius would be willing to join you. You leave tomorrow."

"Yes, Sire" Arthur bowed to his father and turned to towards his chambers, closely followed by Merlin.

Arthur stood in his room, completely outraged and more than a little frustrated. How could his father expect him to send out more Knights when there was no trace of Morgana to follow, no lead to hold on to?!

Arthur slammed his fists against the wooden table that stood in the centre of his chamber. Across from him, Merlin watched on in wonder; his eyebrows hovering in the midst of his pale forehead.

"You may want to ease off the table a little; that is if you need your hands in the near future."

"Shut up, Merlin!"

"Well, you cannot just go around punching the furniture!"

"If you don't shut up I will be punching you instead!"

Merlin's forehead creased as he unwillingly eased his taunting.

"You really wouldn't want to do that! Who would muck out your stables then?"

Merlin's attempt to lighten Arthur's mood was failing miserably. He could only stand and watch Arthur's worry deepen as he thought out the details of his next mission.

"I need to see Gaius."

 **oOo**

Gwen stood peering down at what had now become her favourite book, "The miracle remedies of nature", as she carefully followed the instructions. Gaius had allowed her more freedom than she could ever imagine and for that she was grateful.

"Finally, add some mandrake root followed by half a glass of water." Gwen read.

"Gaius?"

The physician looked up from his books to glance at his apprentice.

"Yes Gwen?"

"Do we have any mandrake root left?"

"Check the shelf behind you; I think Merlin collected some for us last week."

As Gwen turned to search for the secret ingredient to the most powerful of sleeping drafts, the chamber door swung open. Prince Arthur walked toward them, his face secured in a hard, stern expression as Merlin followed in his shadow.

"Arthur, I was not expecting to see you. May I be of assistance?"

"Gaius, my father is sending me out on another search for Morgana but this time I would like you to come with us; we need all the help we can get!"

"Arthur, that's not wise. I am not as young as I once was, I would only hold you up."

"But Gaius, we need a healer or physician, you of all people know exactly what these trips demand of our men."

"I am aware Sire, but I fear I would be more of a burden than useful. However, Gwen, here, is youthful, energetic and very knowledgeable."

At the mention of her name, Gwen looked up from her bubbling potion.

"Me?" Gwen looked questioningly at Gaius, who returned her glance of disbelief and discomfort with the slightest of smiles.

"Gwen…?" repeated Arthur thoughtfully.

"Yes, Gwen, Sire. I will help her prepare all that you may need on your search."

The Prince turned to the young woman. He paused for a few moments, thinking through Gaius' suggestion as Gwen squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze.

"Alright then, we leave tomorrow at dawn."

Arthur gave a slight nod to Gaius and a glance of acknowledgement to Gwen before heading out of the chamber.

"Wow, he looked tense." Gwen noted aloud.

"Pfft, you should have seen him five minutes ago, half the furniture in his room is bruised." said Merlin, shaking his head while Gaius raised his brow in wonder.

"Oh dear, well we better get on with preparing for tomorrow then." replied Gwen.

"What's going on tomorrow?" asked Marina, who had managed to walk into Gaius' chambers, unnoticed. She stood by the door with an expression of itching curiosity and suspicion.

"I'm accompanying a search party tomorrow at dawn with Prince Arthur and Merlin." answered Gwen.

"Oh, you mean, WE're going with a search party tomorrow at dawn..." replied Marina who stubbornly folded her arms across her chest and glared at her friend. Gwen knew that look all too well and was sure that she would not be leaving Camelot without Marina- no matter what or who.

"But...Marina... I think you're going to have to ask Prince Arthur." She really was desperate for Marina to join them on their trip, she didn't want to be with a bunch of arrogant Knights on her own.

"Yeah, she's right Marina. Arthur is not in a very agreeable mood at the moment." Merlin added.

"Well, I'll just get my things ready and tell him at dawn that I'm coming."

Gwen couldn't help but smile at her friend. 'TELL the Prince, not ASK... that is Marina…' she mused silently.

"I guess you could give it a shot, I don't think he'd mind too much." replied Merlin, whose eyes seemed to be focused intensely on Marina as though he were expecting her to spontaneously ignite.

oOo

"Marina, wake up! We have to be out in less than a minute!"

Gwen had not slept very well that night and soon gave up on trying; instead, she had begun to organise her own things, along with Marina's, in preparation for their looming trip. Seeing her best friend conked out on her bed, she had known that there was no way she would wake up in time to do it herself. As tough as Marina liked to act in her waking moments, she couldn't deny that sleep was her weakness. Whereas it took a few seconds for Gwen to fall asleep, Marina could take hours, but once she was out, there was no waking her until she decided to wake up. Not only that, but she slept like the dead. Gwen giggled as she recalled what had happened that one time, when they had been around 15. They had been strolling about in the forest, as they so often did back then, and had decided to take a quick nap in a meadow they had stumbled upon. Gwen, enjoying the sunshine and the smell of summer, had fallen asleep quickly. It wasn't long before she was awake again. Sitting up, she saw a few squirrels attempting to get into Marina's bag, which she kept close to her chest. The bread and fruit she had stuffed in there had probably attracted them. They had climbed on her and were actively trying to pry it open, making horrendous clicking noises all the while. She saw their claws leaving imprints on Marina's dress, but this did not seem to bother her friend. She slept as heavily as a log. Laughing, Gwen had been forced to chase away the furry animals before waking her up. Since then, she had always made sure she slept near Marina if they were outside. Gwen smiled fondly at the memory, before remembering where she was. They needed to be out in front of the stables in ten minutes!

"Marina, come on, hurry up! Wake up, wake _up_!"

Marin gradually opened her eyes and croaked,

"Why are you waking me up, I want to sleep!"

"Oh for goodness sake, Marina, we have a search party to join—remember?! We're going to be late, now get a move on!" with that, Gwen occupied herself with the last of the preparations while Marina jumped out of bed and hurried to get herself ready.

On their way to the stables, Gwen shared her worries with her friend; she knew Marina would listen.

"Marina?"

"Yes?"

"I don't know if I can do this. I mean, I haven't been Gaius' apprentice for that long. How am I meant to know everything I need to know and be expected to use it... and what's worse is that I'm caring for Knights! They're nobles for goodness sake, what do they think I am: a physician?! As much as I do wish it to be true... it's not!"

"Gwen,"

"I mean, honestly, what if a Knight dies because of me. What happens then? Would Uther execute me? Oh God, he probably would!"

" _Gwen_! Hush up already and listen! You will NOT mess up. You're nervous but that's natural, it is only to be expected. Besides you know more about this stuff than the whole search party put together, let alone the King. And to be honest, I don't think _Prince_ Arthur would allow your execution." Marina concluded with a broad grin stretching across her face.

"Oh, why thank you, Marina, I'm so glad to hear that if Uther decides to execute me, probably because I would have _killed_ a Knight, Prince Arthur could stop him. That makes me feel so much better!" replied Gwen sarcastically.

 **oOo**

Outside the stables, Arthur stood in his armour with Merlin at his side.

"Marina, have you come to see Gwen off? How nice of you." He asked this with an amused smile.

"No Sire, I will be joining you today." Marina replied confidently as Gwen stood nervously beside her. The Prince's smile faltered momentarily before he added,

"Oh but that is not possible. I only asked for Gwen to join us. There is no need for you to-"

"I'm coming." interrupted Marina, her eyes flashing dangerously. Gwen was sure Arthur felt the force of her friend's words as much as she had. "I will not leave Gwen's side. That has always been the way with us; where she goes, I go."

"Marina. I know you care about Gwen but she will be just fine, no harm will come to her; that I can promise you myself."

"That's not good enough." Marina pushed on; her determination was rooted to the ground, she would not be swayed.

"Enough. Marina, I said-"

"I don't care what you've said or what you're going to say. I'm coming so don't try to stop me, you... er... um"

"Clot pole." Merlin finished Marina's sentence, then glanced at her, his eyes sparkling with humour. He was clearly enjoying this more than anyone.

The Prince turned to face his man servant; he raised his brow and said,

"What is it with you and clot pole. I thought we have already discussed this 'Merlin word'. It does NOT exist."

"Well actually, you will find that the definition of 'clot pole' is right in front of us." Marina pointed out only to Arthur's annoyance and Merlin's pleasure.

"Ok, fine! You can come. Just stay out of my way and do NOT distract Gwen." The prince stared pointedly at Gwen, who, within seconds, seemed to turn a million shades of red.

Just then, a group of Knights walked towards them. They were fully dressed in heavy, gleaming, well-polished armour. They maintained their elite posture faultlessly: backs straight and firm, shoulders held stern and their heads tilted towards the sky. The Knights' swords swung at their side as they approached the stables. They seemed divine to all those who were ordinary; but Gwen and Marina were far from ordinary. They both looked on in disgust which they failed to hide.

"Greetings Sire," began one of the Knights, clearly their assumed spokesman and front man.

"Good morning Sir Leon." Arthur addressed the Knight. He then turned towards the others and added,

"I hope you are all ready, we will be leaving immediately."

"Yes Sire, but there is just one uncertainty..."

"Yes? What is it?"

"Are these two maids joining us today?" asked Sir Leon. A few random, mocking sniggers spread among the group of Knights.

"Yes they are." The Prince answered. He had been expecting such a confrontation, for he himself had wondered if taking them along was a good idea. "They are not maids. Gwen, here, is our stand in Physician and this is Marina, her _assistant._ " He said the last word with a particular emphasis as he remembered Marina's _request_ \- if it could be called so- moments ago.

"But Sire, they will only hinder us. We shall have to defend them as well as ourselves." The Knight glared accusingly at the two girls who merely returned his hostility.

"Prince Arthur, I would just like to add to this conversation that Marina and I can defend ourselves perfectly well. We do NOT need any assistance. Hopefully we can offer more than we will receive."

Gwen spoke these words with a sweet yet bitter tone as she looked at Arthur, completely ignoring the presence of his Knights. She turned her head slightly and shared a momentary glance with Marina, both thinking back to previous conversations about the assumed _nobility_ of Knights and their arrogance.

Arthur could not help but stare at his healer who had never before spoken out of turn. He wondered about her character; she seemed calm yet determined. Something about her intrigued him, but he could not put his finger on what. Arthur blinked in attempt to clear is mind and replied,

"Sir Leon, I would think that answers your uncertainty quite firmly."

A smile was visible in Arthur's eyes as he moved towards his horse in silent amusement.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Hours passed by as the search party continued to ride through the woods in the near vicinity of Camelot and its walls. They had slowly begun edging out further, widening their search in hope for more success.

Arthur led the way on an elegant white mare with Merlin closely behind to his right. Gwen and Marina rode alongside Merlin forming a straight line. Signs of fatigue had started to creep in on both the girls but their determination to remain strong kept them going. They would not allow themselves to give in to the knights' accusations of their assumed weakness. The Knights of Camelot followed behind the four horses keeping the group compact, controlled and well organised.

The sun was beginning to set, the temperature dropped rapidly and what had been a slight breeze became short gusts of wind. Merlin's teeth began chattering as they rode through the woods.

"What is that noise?" Arthur asked, looking around him.

"What noise?" replied Merlin.

"It's just stopped... wait..." Arthur paused as he listened intently.

"It's started again." The Prince turned to look at Merlin only to see his jaw vibrating violently.

"Ahh, so it's you! Are you _scared_ , Merlin?" A mocking smile formed on Arthur's lips. "Look at Gwen and Marina, they haven't made a sound!"

"I'm not scared!" exclaimed Merlin, his ears turning a deep shade of red verging on purple. "I'm just cold."

Arthur's smile widened, "Cold...? Perhaps your fear is making you feel cold?"

"No, of course not. That doesn't even make sense."

Merlin scowled at the back of his master's head. He really didn't appreciate being embarrassed in front of his friends; what were Gwen and Marina supposed to think? The girls both smiled knowingly at each other and turned to look straight ahead. Gwen was trying to act as indifferent as possible to minimise Merlin's discomfort, while Marina pressed her lips together, fighting the urge to burst out laughing.

"Merlin, YOU don't make sense." Arthur laughed to himself. He had missed this; it felt as though he hadn't teased Merlin in far too long. "Seriously, you just take one look at y-"

Arthur's face turned stone hard. His eyes became serious and alert as they darted around his followers.

"What?" Merlin asked as he looked at the Prince with total confusion.

"Shhh!" Arthur held up his hand, silencing Merlin and leading his group to a halt. He grew more apprehensive with each second that passed. He'd heard something in the woods... he was sure of it... he just couldn't quite place the exact location.

Behind him, the Knights mimicked their Prince's stance, ready to attack.

Tension hung thick above their heads as they waited for the smallest of movements. Gwen and Marina didn't dare breathe as they waited for a confirmation that all was well; a confirmation that never came.

A loud groan sounded directly behind Marina. Everyone turned to see the source: Sir Leon. He had fallen off his horse and lay crumpled on the cold, uneven ground. An arrow was protruding from his abdomen; his eyes were screwed in agony as he took short sharp gasps of air.

Swiftly, dark figures appeared from behind the trees and began tightening their trap around the search party, each step drawing them nearer to their victims. Within seconds, all the Knights, including the Prince, had dismounted from their horses and began swinging their swords at their attackers. The knights had formed a ring around Merlin, the girls and the wounded Sir Leon.

Without further hesitation, Gwen jumped off her horse and ran towards her patient, clutching her equipment tight against her chest. Her instincts taking over, the wasted no time in inspecting Sir Leon's wound.

Gradually, as more Knights began to fall, the ring of security around Merlin and the girls was penetrated by the bandits, who had spotted an opportunity at the sight of the gaping holes in their victims' defences.

Merlin and Marina stood back to back, each clutching a tree branch. They looked on in shock as the sound of metal rang through the woods. Screams of shock and agony escaped without warning. Panicking, Marina scanned her surroundings for Gwen. She was relieved to glimpse her friend making her way around to the wounded knights. Her relief was drowned by frustration and fear as she saw a masked figure creep behind Gwen, holding his sword above his head, ready to strike... to kill.

Marina had just started to move towards Gwen when she saw Arthur swing his sword in one swift motion, decapitating the anonymous figure from behind. Gwen looked up in shock, only to see Arthur standing over her. . Both relief and concern were in his eyes, as well as something else...something that stirred within Gwen both thrill and fright as she gazed up at him. Moments later, Arthur turned his attention to another attacker, leaving Gwen to doubt what she thought she had felt.

 **oOo**

Amidst the heat of the fight, Merlin was concentrating solely on Arthur. Many times he'd had to intervene to stop the prince being cut in pieces; although he could never actually take any credit for it...As much as he'd like to. As Arthur swung round to parry a blow from one of the attackers, Merlin noticed that one of the bandits, perched on a tree and armed with a bow and arrow, was aiming straight for Arthur's chest. Without thinking, he let his magic flow through him; reaching the branch he crouched on and causing it to snap. Merlin smiled, hearing the satisfying thud.

His smiled faded as he realised that he had been seen.

She was standing opposite him, her eyes boring into his. If Marina had doubted what he was before, she knew it now. Shaking, Merlin forced himself to look away. The knights had fought off all their attackers successfully, and the convoy started making further progress in the search for Morgana.

Merlin avoided looking across at Marina, knowing full well that once they were back in Camelot, she would be on his case, if not before that. So much for keeping his secret safe. How could he have been so stupid? What was she goin to say? Strangely, no matter how icy her glare had been, he knew she wouldn't denounce him to the King...He had to believe he could trust her and hope that she would understand.

 **oOo**

"This will do. Merlin and Marina, gather some wood for us to light a fire. Make sure there's enough."

It was well after sunset now, and the search party had come across a small clearing, where a river ran not far off. They were to spend the night there. Although one person was largely sufficient to collect the amount of kindling needed, Marina knew this was Arthur's form of revenge on her for challenging his authority earlier. Well, if he thought this would get to her, he was wrong. Head held high, she walked off into the forest, pointedly not waiting for Merlin.

As they looked around for dry wood, Marina decided to broach the subject that had been the reason for the tension between Merlin and herself.

"I saw what you did Merlin..."

Merlin's awkward reply came half a minute later.

"I did nothing."

"Oh no...nope. I must have been imagining it then..."

"Probably."

Marina could not believe that Merlin honestly thought she was that stupid. As she prepared to throw back a cutting remark, she saw Arthur making his way towards them.

"What _are_ you both doing?"

"Getting wood. Like you royal highness asked." Marina was already furious at Merlin, she did not need this arrogant, self-elevating _plonk_ involving himself into the mess.

"Are you perchance angry Marina? Or maybe it is the fact that I sent you here to assist Merlin...I'm sorry about that but you see, I have entire authority over you and you would do well to remember it in future."

That was the last straw. He clearly had not appreciated her defiance earlier on and wanted to reassert his position. She might have gone a little far but this was undeserved. If he thought she was going to bow down to him, he had another thing coming.

"If your pompous, self-aggrandising, stupid royal _ass_ thinks that you can order me around as you please, you can think again because I am _not_ one of your toy soldiers for you to play with. And neither is he!"

Pointing at Merlin, Marina carried on insulting the Prince until she physically exhausted herself. Only then did she realise that she had made a big mistake. She was in serious trouble. Her temper had always been a bit hard to restrain but...she had called the prince of Camelot an ass...not good. Waiting for the death blow that was sure to come, Marina looked over at Merlin, who, to her extreme annoyance, was smiling.

"Well, now that you've gotten _that_ out of your system, would you mind actually doing something productive and gather that wood I asked for?" And, with a slight smile hovering on his lips, the prince walked off, leaving an utterly confused Marina looking after him.

"Don't worry, I called him an ass the first time I met him...and look where it got me..."

"Don't think you're off the hook Merlin."

 **oOo**

Arthur returned to the clearing where the search party was to stay for the night. As he approached, he saw Gwen rummaging through a bag with a focused frown placed firmly on her fatigue stricken face. She sat beside a knight who lay on the ground, grunting with pain; his bandaged arm fixed to his chest.

The prince stopped inches behind Gwen, leaning against a tree, and watched her tend to the wounded knight. He could see her determination and desire to make sure the wounded was as comfortable as possible. This surprised him somewhat seeing as Gwen had made her opinion of knights quite clear.

Arthur watched on as Gwen supported the knight's head while she poured a bright red fizzing potion into his mouth. Moments later, the knight's groans began to subside as he gradually fell into a deep sleep.

"You should probably get some rest now." Arthur said as he stepped out of the shadows, taking a few steps towards Gwen.

Her body jolted with surprise as she turned to face him.

"Oh Sire! I did not hear you coming! You frightened me!"

She got to her feet, holding her hand over her chest as if to make sure her heart was still in place.

"Sorry, I did not mean to scare you; you just seemed so focused, I did not want to interrupt." Arthur answered as he pointed his head towards the sleeping Knight. "You have done well today, Gwen. I'd like to thank you for that. Without you, our losses would have been far greater." His voice was thick with gratitude, causing Gwen to blush as she looked down at her feet. She thanked God fervently for the night's darkness which hid her embarrassment more successfully than she ever could.

"I was merely doing my job, Sire."

"Well, you did it well."

"I have you to thank for that. You saved my life today." Gwen dared to look up at Arthur as she spoke. Her breath caught in her throat when she met his gaze, but she urged herself to hold it for a few seconds longer, just enough for him to feel her sincerity.

"Hmm... yes...I think…"Arthur frowned as he played the events of the attack, "we're going to have to teach you some self-defence." he concluded.

"Self defence?!" Gwen echoed with shock.

"Yes, you could probably join some of our knight training. We train everyday but you can come once a week; that way y-"

"No Sire, I can't!" Gwen looked pleadingly at Arthur before adding "Sir Leon would mock me every second of this training. You do recall my comments before we left Camelot... oh God... what was I thinking... in fact, I wasn't thinking...he'll probably hold it against me for the rest of my life, let alone training... I can't, I really can't." Gwen finished in one breath, her eyes frantic.

Arthur could not help but laugh as he looked at his flustered maid.

"See, even you are laughing at me!" Gwen said in a small, embarrassed voice. Fixing her gaze back to her feet she wished the ground beneath her could just open up and swallow her. Social interactions with royalty were really not her strong point.

"No, no! I am not laughing at you at all! It's just... maybe I could get Sir Leon to train you one on one." Although the prince had stopped laughing, a grin was now planted firmly across his face. For some peculiar reason, he seemed to be enjoying teasing Gwen, who looked up in pure, mortified horror.

"I really hope that was a joke, Sire!" she said, voice quivering as her eyes stung with tears of frustration and embarrassment.

Arthur noted this change and immediately regretted his comments. He'd clearly upset Gwen without meaning to. His humour disappeared as guilt took its place.

"Yes it was a joke, Gwen, but not a very good one. I'm sorry." The prince's tone returned to seriousness as he attempted to make amends for his previous lack of consideration. "I would like to train you myself...that is if you accept my offer."

Gwen looked up in surprise. The prince of Camelot wanted to train her himself! She could not even begin to imagine how this could work out. She felt her blood rush to her face as she struggled for words.

"But... but Sire, I'm helpless when it comes to using a sword. I'd only be a pain…" she managed.

"No, you would not be a pain Gwen, and your lack of skill with a sword is the exact reason for my request. I can't have anything hurt you!"

Arthur blinked in surprise, the intensity of his own voice throwing him off guard; the words had escaped his lips before he could fully comprehend their meaning. "I mean, Marina would kill me!" he added quickly. He studied Gwen's face to make sure she had not noticed his lapse of concentration and was relieved to see that she was still trying to deal with his offer.

"I will give you more time to think about it. You do not need to rush to a decision right now." He added. "And I meant it when I said you needed to rest!"

Gwen, still lost for words, bowed to her prince, "Good night, My Lord."

"Good night, Gwen." Arthur replied before turning to look for a spot to sleep on.

She chose to sleep near the wounded knights so that she could easily tend to their needs during the night. Her mind was racing as she tried to take in what had just happened. Arthur... training her... it was an absurd offer, yet she knew she could not refuse.

"Oh Gwen, by the way, if Sir Leon says anything to you, just remind him who saved his life today." Arthur's voice was firm yet reassuring as he made himself comfortable and ready for bed.

A small smile formed on Gwen's lips as she relaxed into the grass beneath her. She could not fully comprehend the kindness Arthur showed her, but she didn't really want to.

"Prince Arthur?"

"Yes?"

"I accept your offer."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

He couldn't sleep. Knowing that Marina had discovered his secret bothered him far more than he'd first realised. Getting up, Merlin decided to sit by the river for a while, until sleep came to him. The twinkling and gentle, lulling sounds of the water trickling its way along, and the wind slightly rustling the leaves of the trees were like music to his ears. Reminding him of home...if only he could be there, right now...Hearing footsteps, he turned around only to see Marina emerging from the trees that separated the river from the clearing. As she made her way towards him, the cloud that had been blocking the moon drifted away, bathing everything in hazy silver light. At that moment, Merlin felt as if time had stood still. She looked astonishing. Almost unreal...as if he were dreaming. Merlin realised that he'd never really looked at her as a woman...until now. She'd always been his friend to him; it had never occurred that they could be anything else. Shaking his head a little, Merlin shook himself out of his daze. Sitting beside him, she kept silent for a while, simply observing the running water in front of them.

"You and Arthur are closer then you both let on aren't you?"

She was speaking in a quiet, almost hushed voice, like she could hear the music as he did, and did not want to break it. Looking at her, Merlin wondered how much he could say...What was safe to tell her and what wasn't. Until he found out who or what had happened to her that night in Gaius' chambers, he didn't want to reveal anything that would put her in any further danger.

"Well...as close as a prince and his man-servant can be I suppose."

"Oh, you're trying to tell me that a man-servant would put his life on the line to save a master who mocks him at any opportunity he gets? I'm not buying it Merlin..."

"I'm not asking you to...Besides, you're the one who is asking me all the questions here...I don't have to tell you anything."

"No, you don't. But when a friend is concerned about your well-being, common courtesy would have it that you'd at least tell them the truth."

"Well...Thanks but there's nothing to be concerned about."

"Merlin, you're using magic underneath the nose of a King who burns people like us without _any_ hesitation! I'd think that to be a slight cause for concern."

" 'Us'? Did you just say 'us'?"

"No, I said 'you'."

"You said 'us' Marina...What are you hiding?"

"Nothing. I meant 'you'. And besides, even if I was hiding something, which I am not, do you really think I would tell you when you yourself refuse to trust me?"

"It has nothing to do with trust – "

"Then what is it?"

"Nothing."

Merlin could sense that he was starting to seriously tick her off. He would have found her struggle for self-control amusing, were he not worrying about what would happen if she lost it.

"Merlin please, I'm trying real hard _not_ to kill you here, so would you please co-operate and actually be a bit more communicative?"

"God Marina, there is nothing to say okay? What you saw did not happen. It must have been the sunlight or something."

"The sunlight? How would the sunlight make me think that you'd have anything to do with a branch suddenly breaki—"

Merlin cursed under his breath as he realised his mistake.

"Oh you've landed yourself in it now Merlin."

"Look, I just meant that maybe the sun had gotten to you..."

"Nope. You know just as well as I do that what you actually meant was that the sun made me think I saw your eyes glow...but I never said I saw your eyes glow...Didn't even mention your eyes...Which means that you know _exactly_ what I'm talking about."

"Your logic makes no sense."

"MERLIN! Would you stop taking me for a fool! You're worse than Arthur!"

"Well then stop asking questions!"

"I'm trying to _help_ you!"

"No, no you're not, you're just being nosey!"

" _WHAT_?"

Merlin noticed that the soft breeze had picked up, tearing away at the trees that surrounded them. He had also noticed that Marina's eyes were glowing dangerously with anger. Whether she had anything to do with the change of wind was not something he was in any way sure of, but it was a possibility. He realised that the only way he could determine whether she had anything to do with it was to anger her furthermore...It was not something he looked forward to...if anything it frightened him somewhat, but he had to know. If she did have powers, he would have to keep a close eye on her to make sure she didn't end up using them haphazardly.

"Yep, but then again, you're a girl...I suppose it's perfectly normal. All girls are - "

"Oh so now I'm not only nosey but a _girl_?!"

"Well aren't you? It's a wonder your mother let you leave the house really, someone as young as you with a crappy temper...bound to screw up and make mistakes..."

"When have I ever screwed up?!"

"Well, for a start, if you possessed even one once of common sense, you'd realise that challenging the prince of Camelot's authority is not acceptable...especially not when you're just a servant."

Merlin hated this. He hated seeing the look of pain flash across Marina's face. But he had no choice. He had to find out whether she was magical, and this was the only way he could think of doing so. Throwing insults blindly, Merlin hoped that one of them would hit a nerve, and that Marina would snap.

"I wonder, how is it that you're so stupid as to challenge his authority so? Family trait maybe? Tell me, is your mother as stupid?" As her anger mounted, the wind's force and savageness increased, until all Merlin could hear was its loud howling.

"Okay", thought Merlin, "that did it. Great, I hit the jackpot. I got what I wanted, I just hope all that happens is for her to slap me and refuse to ever speak to me again." But it seemed unlikely that he would be that fortunate. With a gasp, he saw the water that had been trickling along its bed only seconds ago start to overflow, the strength of the current increasing, its flow getting faster and faster. The wind, creating vicious torrents, spun the water into waves, and in one, swift motion, a pillar of water rose from the river, only to rush towards Merlin and reach him with an impact so strong that he was knocked immediately to the ground. As he dragged himself back up, he saw Marina, standing in the midst of the chaos, untouched, her eyes glowing a fierce gold, her expression blank, as if in a trance. Her hair whipped about her face by the gusts of wind that she had unconsciously summoned. Only then did Merlin realise how dangerous she was, both to herself and others. If she did not learn to harness her emotions soon, they could all be in trouble. The sheer force of her anger had summoned such powerful magic in such a short amount of time that Merlin was sure that if she were pushed over the edge, she could single-handedly destroy a small village. He fought against the wind, making his way towards Marina. His wet clothes clung to him, making it difficult for him to move. Unable to reach her across the winds, Merlin realised that the only solution was for him to use his magic against her. He didn't want to, but had no choice. The mayhem she was causing would soon wake everyone up, she would be caught, and burnt at the stake like so many others. And that was something he could not allow to happen, no matter what he had to do. Taking a deep breath, Merlin reached deep within himself for his magic. With as much force as he could muster, he recited the incantation, and sent a fireball straight to her. Heart hammering against his chest, Merlin hoped that the wind and water that lay between them would reduce both the force and intensity of the fireball he had sent so that when it reached her, it would only pull her out of her trance. He looked on in apprehension and fear as his fireball hurtled through the air towards her, penetrating the wall of water and wind before hitting Marina fully on the chest. With a cry, she crumpled to ground. The wind died down immediately, and Merlin was able to make his way to her. Cradling her in his arms, he saw that her eyes were closed, and no matter how hard he tried, no matter how much he shook her, no matter how many times he chanted the incantation to wake her, she lay unmoving in his arms. Tears escaped his eyes as he noticed the hole that had been burnt through her dress, where the fireball had hit. He could not, would not accept it. She could not be dead. Not now. His tears turned into sobs as images of her flashed across his mind- her smile, her laugh, and most of all, how vulnerable she had looked that day, her face streaked with tears. Clinging on to her, Merlin would have willingly given his life up for her to come back.

 **oOo**

Marina felt as if she had just exploded into a million tiny pieces. Clutching her head, she groaned. God, where had this splitting headache come from?! Slowly, she looked around to get her bearings. Her eyes widened in surprise as she realised where she was. The darkness, along with the circle of trees surrounding her had become an all too familiar scene. Marina held her breath as she listened for the voice she was sure she would hear any moment now.

"Glad to see you're back...Although I was not expecting you so soon..."

Sure enough, there she was. Standing tall and as graceful as ever, the woman advanced towards Marina, green eyes sparkling.

"I did not come here out of my own accord."

The woman merely smiled at Marina's defiance.

"Tell me child, out of curiosity, do you remember what you were doing five minutes ago?"

"Of course I – "

Marina cut short as she realised that she couldn't. The last thing she could remember was sitting with Merlin, looking out to the river...Panic swept through her. Why couldn't she remember anything after that?

"Please, what's happening to me? Why do you keep following me? Bringing me to this place? And why can't I remember anything?"

"Would you like to remember? Would you like to see?"

Nodding her head, Marina accepted the woman's offer. Just as she started chanting, Marina felt a ball of anxiety drop at the pit of her stomach as she thought that maybe, just maybe, there was a reason for her sudden memory loss.

 **oOo**

Still clutching Marina's body to him, Merlin sat there with her, motionless. His mind was blank; what had just happened refused to sink in. It had been too quick, too brutal.

"Merlin."

Looking up in surprise, Merlin could distinguish the figure of a woman, walking towards him gracefully, as if floating. As she got closer, he was able to make out her long, red hair, and deep green eyes. Who was she?

"You must take care of her, whatever the cost."

"Huh?"

"Marina. You must take care of her."

"But- she..." He didn't want to say it. If he did, it would be as if it were true.

"She's not dead Merlin, just asleep. Fast asleep."

"What?"

"Merlin, listen to me. Your destiny is linked with hers, if she dies, you cannot fulfil it. She is to help you protect Arthur, without her assistance, you will fail. You must help her come to terms with who she is, and teach her everything that you know. In time, she will become a powerful ally, but for now, she needs protection, support, and most importantly, love."

And with that, the mysterious figure walked away, disappearing into the night.

 **oOo**

As the dreadful scene unfolded before her very eyes, Marina could hardly breathe. Merlin had driven her so angry that she had entirely lost self-control – understandably so. Unable to believe it, she could do nothing but watch helplessly as she saw Merlin get hit with an enormous wave of water, and knocked about by the winds she had conjured. Her heart nearly stopped as she saw him aim a fireball that brought her straight to the ground. She fought her tears as she saw the sheer desperation and pain on his face as he cried, her body in his arms. She was aching to go to him, hug him, right there, right now, and reassure him that she was okay. But she couldn't. Although she was seeing what had happened a few minutes ago, it wasn't real. The scenery gradually disappeared, and Marina was once again in the forest, with the woman.

Looking at her thoughtfully, she took her time before deciding to finally address Marina.

"You could have killed him."

"I...didn't know what I was doing I...mustn't have...I'd never hurt Merlin."

"But you could have. What if you _had_ killed him? If he hadn't used his magic to reach you, he would have been dead."

Suddenly, the woman walked towards Marina, and pulled her in a tight embrace, surprising het. She hadn't been hugged like that in a while. For a few seconds, she let herself imagine that she was back at home, in her mother's arms. Releasing her, the woman stepped back and grasped Marina by the shoulders.

"You must listen to Merlin and do as he says. I know you do not like being told what to do, but this is the best advice I can give you. He will help you harness your emotions, and use your magic at will. Go now, I will see you again soon."

Suddenly overcome by sheer tiredness, Marina fell to the ground.

 **oOo**

Merlin held his breath as Marina stirred, still in his arms. An intense feeling of relief coursed through him as she slowly opened her eyes. Unable to contain his joy, he held her against him in a fierce embrace, which, somewhat to his surprise, she returned. Without a word, he helped her to her feet, and walked her back to the camp. Having lit a fire, he sat next to her, his expression that of remorse and shame. Wanting to apologise for the things he had said, Merlin thought about what he could say, but before he could even start to speak, she interrupted.

"Look at you! You're soaking wet!"

Getting up, she retrieved her cloak from the bag that carried all her belongings, and threw it around him. As she did so, Merlin felt her fingers brush lightly against his, and wished that he could let his guard down and attempt to love again. But he couldn't. The pain had been too much the first time; he couldn't bear loosing someone again. So he just let the moment pass by him instead, retreating to safe grounds.

"You're going to need help with your powers if you want to be able to use them properly."

"I know. I almost killed you back there. I don't want anything like that to happen again..."

Looking at her now, he could feel her confusion and need for support. Feeling oddly responsible for what happened, Merlin could do no less than to offer his help.

"I'll teach you."

"What?!"

"Well, I have some experience, and you're going to need any help you can get."

"Where will you teach me? Surely we can't just practice magic in the castle, we'd be seen!"

"Hmm...We might have to practice in the forest or an empty field...Would you mind?"

"No, that'll be fine, but I don't know if we'll have enough time, I mean, we both have our duties and..."

"Don't worry, we'll find time."

And with that, both settled down to sleep; a large portion of the night had gone, and they needed their strength for the journey back to Camelot. Sighing, Merlin thought about everything that had happened, and about what that strange woman had said. There was no denying that his destiny was linked with Marina's, but he wasn't sure whether he was prepared to provide all that she had said Marina needed. Particularly not love.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Arthur let out a sigh of relief as Camelot came into view. The expedition had been a long and arduous one. He'd noticed it had been especially tough on the girls, but he was glad he'd brought them along; Gwen had proved more than useful, and Marina had surprisingly held her own in battle. She was no swords-man, or woman, rather, but even her limited experience had been put to good use. As the search party entered the courtyard of the castle and dismounted from their horses, Arthur dreaded seeing his father. He knew that when he informed him that they had come back empty handed, he would retreat further into his obsession. Walking towards the doors of the Castle, the Prince stopped short as a familiar figure made its way towards him.

"Good to see you again my lord!"

"Lancelot!" Arthur, managing to make a swift recovery from the initial surprise, shook the man's hand warmly. "What are you doing back in Camelot? Finally decided to join my knights?"

"Actually Sire, I was just passing by, and deciding to er...see how everyone was faring."

Arthur knew that when Lancelot said 'everyone', it only applied to Guinevere. Still, he kept his smile planted firmly on his face, trying to push the stab of jealousy he felt at the back of his mind.

"Sorry Lancelot, I'm afraid I have some urgent business to attend to; perhaps we can carry on this conversation later?"

"Of course, Sire."

With a nod of his head, the Prince left Lancelot to confront his father with his news...Or rather the lack of it.

Walking towards his King, Arthur's heart sank as he saw his father's condition had deteriorated. He looked even more tired and worried than he did when he had left him, if that was even possible.

"Father..."

"You found her?"

"I'm afraid not father...We have spent hours looking for her, but found nothing."

"Keep looking."

"With all due respect my Lord, do you not think that perhaps we cannot find her because – "

"I SAID KEEP LOOKING! Now leave me in peace."

"Yes father."

The prince made his way to his chambers, relieved that the meeting was over, and yet devastated at the thought of his father's sorrow. He had barely finished dressing himself in more comfortable clothes when he heard a knock on the door.

"That'll be Merlin bringing the water for my bath." he thought.

"Come in."

"I'm sorry if I'm disturbing you, Arthur. I could always come back another time..."

At the sound of Guinevere's voice, Arthur's heart skipped. He walked to her, closed the door, and enfolded her in a tight embrace. It wasn't until then he realised how much he had missed her. With his father's obsession, he'd had no time to think about her, but now that she was here...Arthur let her go as he realised that she was pulling away from him.

"Lancelot is back."

"I know, I saw him...Guinevere I - "

"Wait, I have something to tell you first."

His stomach clenched as he saw that her face was serious.

"What is it?"

"I'm leaving."

"Leaving? What? When? Where? Why?"

"I can't do this Arthur, it's too hard. You can keep fooling yourself and pretend that everything is going to be okay, and that things will change, that we will no longer be kept apart by all this, but I can't."

"What?! But...I don't understand..."

"When Lancelot came back, I realised how much I loved him – "

God, her words were killing him. Was this really happening? Was she really going to leave him?

"- and I also realised that the love between him and myself was more realistic. I will always love you Arthur, but this is just not a life. Me, holding on to any hope I can find, waiting for something. Waiting for a miracle that is just never going to happen."

Looking at her, he realised that she meant every single thing she was telling him, and that she was really going to give up all that they ever had...could have.

"I'm so sorry...I hope you understand..."

Arthur could not bear to see the look of pity displayed so plainly on her face. Turning around, away from her, he asked; "When are you leaving?"

Disconcerted by his sudden change of mood, Gwen answered somewhat cautiously. "Tomorrow at dawn."

"I'll make sure you are well prepared for your journey."

"Thank you Sire."

"Goodbye then, Guinevere."

"Goodbye Sire."

As she closed the door behind her, Arthur let out a long sigh, dropping the facade that he had maintained. It had become a sort of self-defence mechanism. When he saw that 'Arthur' could not cope, he would force himself to become 'The Prince'. Looking out of his large window, he felt as if his world was slowly crumbling around him. How could she do this to him? How?! After everything they had been through? Was it all for nothing? He wondered whether he shouldn't have run after her to dissuade her. No. After all, this was what she wanted, and he could do nothing but hope that she finds happiness. His energy had left him. This blow had come so fast, so unexpectedly. Arthur wished for Merlin to be here...Perhaps his awkward servant would once again be able to lighten his mood a little.

 **oOo**

"Marina?"

Marina spun round as she heard her name being called out only to crash into Merlin.

"Ouch!"

"Oh God Merlin, I'm so sorry! Are you alright?"

"I'm okay, I'm okay!"

"I didn't see you!"

"I noticed..."

"Well, you were standing just behind me! What were you thinking, calling my name out when you were just behind me?"

"I didn't call your name out."

"I did."

The Prince had been watching the whole time, finding the entire thing rather entertaining.

"Oh, oh. What do you want?" Marina knew that her tone was not one that should be used when speaking to royalty, but she just couldn't be bothered to bow, and be polite, and flutter her eyelashes. It was time wasted, and she had better things to do. And she didn't like bowing to him anyway. She was pushing the boundaries and she knew it, but she also knew that the Prince wouldn't dare throw her out, because he knew that if he did, Gwen would follow. By now, you didn't need to be a scientist to see the attraction between those two. It was as inconspicuous as a flying pig, despite Gwen trying to convince her otherwise.

"Lady Morgana's maid has left us, and we find ourselves in need of a replacement."

"Riiight?" Marina could not see where this was going. At all.

"So, I've put you down for the post."

"What?! Why? I don't even know her, I haven't even met her!"

"Well, I needed someone I could trust, and also, I think that you would both get on marvellously well – she's almost as bad tempered and headstrong as you are."

"I refuse!"

"You can't. This is an order."

"But...but I don't want to – "

"I don't care what you want or don't want; you are to be her maid."

The prince had been clear on that point, and even Marina was sensible enough not to question his orders.

"Okay. Fine."

"Good." And with that, the prince made to leave.

"One thing though."

"Yes, what is it Marina?" Clearly exasperated, Arthur turned back round to face Marina.

"What if she doesn't come back?"

"She will."

"You don't know that for sure..."

"No I don't. But my father will search this entire earth and the heavens, if need be, to find her. So I've got to hope that we will find her soon, or I fear we shall all go mad."

Marina looked on as the Prince walked away, and for the first time, felt a stab of sympathy for this young man who held a huge amount of responsibility on his shoulders. Perhaps next time she met him, she would bow.

 **oOo**

Arthur rode on his horse as he led his search patrol through the woods. This was their second quest in search for Morgana in two days, much to his exasperation; his father's obsession was not subsiding even though they had now being searching a year for the King's ward. Having Merlin, Gwen and Marina riding alongside him had quickly become routine. Arthur secretly appreciated their presence for they made his duty that little bit more bearable; especially Merlin, who received more than his fair share of teasing by the Prince to lighten his own sour moods, but Arthur was not about to admit that. Or change it for that matter.

"Is there something wrong with you?" Arthur asked Merlin after hearing his servant moan to himself.

"I've been on a horse all day!" answered Merlin as he tried to reposition himself on the horse's back.

"Is your little bottom sore?"

"Yes. It's not as fat as yours." Merlin added bitterly.

Arthur chuckled with light amusement.

"You know, you've got a lot of nerve for a wimp."

"I may be a wimp, but at least I'm not a dollop head."

"There's no such word." Arthur remarked simply, while Marina and Gwen grinned silently behind him.

"It's idiomatic."

"It's what?!"

"You need to be more in touch with the people!"

"Describe dollop head!"

"In two words...?"

"Yeah."

"Prince Arthur." Merlin answered with a knowing expression as Marina burst out laughing beside him.

Suddenly, Arthur's horse stopped as the prince raised his hand, listening intently. He scanned the woods around them, his eyes slowing when they met an abandoned clearing where a number of tents stood empty. The prince dismounted his horse and made his way to where a fire had been lit; he needed to determine how long this place had been abandoned for and when was the last time anyone lived here.

Within seconds, an arrow struck a knight beside Arthur and he dropped dead to the floor.

The knights stood in their defensive stance as they greeted the bandits with their swords and shields. Chaos broke loose as the Knights of Camelot fought off their attackers.

"Oh god, I'm getting a strong sense of déjà vu here!" Gwen groaned.

"Tell me about it." replied Marina as she dismounted her horse. She found herself standing beside Merlin when a bandit came running towards them, sword held high in the air. Marina looked around her frantically, trying to find something to use in self-defence. She picked up a sword from the floor and flung it to Merlin. Much to her frustration he was unarmed instantly. The attacker was about to strike when Marina heard,

" _Exto pento!_ "

Metal objects around them flew up toward the bandit's sword, weighing him down to the ground. Marina turned to face Merlin, who simply shrugged as he made his way towards Arthur. She couldn't believe it! Merlin had used magic so openly, right under the Prince's nose again! 'That boy has a death wish!' she thought, shaking her head in amazement as she walked after him. She had barely come to terms with the fact that she was gifted, and felt like the mere thought of it would land her in prison!

Just before reaching Arthur, Merlin tripped and fell to the ground beside a large tree. Marina sighed heavily, exasperated as she approached him. He would never cease to surprise her with his clumsiness...Still, it was cute. She stopped abruptly when she saw his eyes change from their usual blue to that now familiar gold. He was using magic again! Marina spun around just in time to see a javelin cut through the air into an attacker who was creeping behind the already occupied Prince.

On hearing the bandit's groan, Arthur turned only to see his attacker already dead. He scanned the woods around him to see where the javelin had come from, but he saw no one, apart from Merlin and Marina. Merlin was laying on his stomach behind a tree, much to Arthur's irritation.

"We're not playing hide and seek Merlin!" he called out accusingly, before walking away.

"Dollop head." Merlin muttered as he gathered himself off the floor. Marina came to his side, eyes glittering with amusement. The last of the bandits had escaped and the chaos began to subside. Arthur stood in the centre of the clearing assessing the gravity of the loss this attack had caused.

In the thick of the trees, the sound of shuffling carried its way towards the clearing. Arthur froze. He drew out his sword once more, ready for what was moving towards them. The silence surrounding them was interrupted by more twigs breaking. Arthur and his Knights moved as one towards the sound, poised to attack.

Slowly, through the thick tree branches and the fog, a figure began to emerge, stumbling toward the clearing.

Gwen held her breath as she saw a battered yet beautiful woman appear in front of her eyes. Her dark blue dress was torn and her hair dishevelled, but her fine features left no mistake as to her noble birth. No one moved as Arthur whispered in disbelief.

"Morgana."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Gaius sat on the edge of Morgana's bed as he helped her to take the sleeping draft that Gwen had just prepared. Gwen watched over his shoulder as the Lady gradually fell into a deep, restless sleep.

"She needs to rest." Gaius instructed as he got up to leave.

"I'll get Marina to stay with her." replied Gwen.

"Yes, and make sure Marina calls me when she wakes." Gaius collected his equipment and left for his chambers.

Gwen stood watching over Morgana for a few more minutes, taking in her beauty and grace. She had underestimated her elegance when she had first seen her in the woods. Gwen felt a rush of sympathy wash over her as she tried to imagine the pain and fear Morgana must have been through this last year.

After a few minutes, Gwen left the room to find Marina and pass the physician's instructions on to her.

 **oOo**

Marina was making her way back to her chambers after a long day's work. She was exhausted. She hadn't been prepared for just how demanding serving Lady Morgana would be.

"Marina!"

She spun around only to see Merlin right behind her.

"What is it with you always waiting to be inches away from me _then_ calling my name?!" she shook her head in disapproval.

"Sorry..."

Marina looked at Merlin for a few seconds before asking,

"What's wrong? Are you ok?" Concerned, she studied his face for any reassuring signs, of which she found none.

"It's nothing."

"No, don't tell me it's nothing and expect me to believe you! Spit it out already because I am more than sure that it's something!" Marina's face took on a stubborn and frustrated expression, one Merlin knew only too well. "Look, Merlin, walk me to my chambers and we can talk on our way there. Ok?"

He looked at her with gratitude, relieved to finally be able to talk to someone about his worries. He started making his way towards the servants' quarters with Marina at his side.

"It's Morgana…" He began.

"What about her? She's fine. Gwen told me that she's recovering well."

"No Marina, that's not what I mean..." Merlin paused as he thought of the best way to continue. "She has magic."

" _WHAT_?!" Marina froze in mid step. "The King's ward?! Are you sure?"

"Of course I am. But it's not just that... I tried to poison her."

"You did _what_?! Ok, wait wait wait... Slow down here; this is too much far too fast."

Merlin took a deep breath before launching into his story.

"Last year, some sort of incantation was cast over Camelot, leaving everyone here fast asleep. Except for Morgana. Arthur and I had just returned to Camelot when we saw that the Kingdom's defences were non-existent. Gradually the spell started affecting the two of us making us feel tired and wary. But we had to protect Uther; the castle was being invaded by dead Knights. Obviously, you know as well as I do it could only be the work of magic." Merlin paused to let this new information sink in, as he studied Marina's deep pensive frown.

"Yes, but who was behind all of it? Don't tell me it was Morgana?"

"No, not Morgana, but her half-sister, Morgause, a powerful sorceress of the Old Religion."

Merlin could see that all this information came as a bit of a shock to Marina, particularly the fact that Morgana had a half-sister. Being the King's ward, everyone knew the official story of how Morgana came to be at Uther's side, yet no-one but the King, Gaius and himself knew about her half-sister. Merlin hoped Marina wouldn't ask too many questions about how Morgana came to have one; he wasn't sure how much he wanted to tell her yet.

"She had cast a spell on Camelot to be able to take control of the kingdom and kill Uther, without any resistance. I asked the Great Dragon for help; he told me I had to destroy the source of the magic. That source was Morgana."

"So, you had to poison her to save Camelot..." finished Marina. He was about to continue when Marina suddenly exclaimed; "Great Dragon?! What great dragon? What dragon? They were all killed during the great purge weren't they?!"

"All but one. This one was kept as a reminder to everyone of how magic is seen and dealt with in the Kingdom." He could see Marina's face cloud over. Her disgust was easy to see. Warning bells sounded dimly at the back of his mind; he should have to make sure that her anger and disgust did not turn to hate. He couldn't afford to have another Morgause running about trying to kill Uther. In an attempt to steer the conversation away from the King's terrible choices, he carried on.

"Yes, exactly, poisoning her was my only option really... But now that she's back she's going to tell Uther about this and God knows what he'll do!"

"Merlin, you can't be serious; you had no choice. You saved the whole of Uther's Kingdom and the King himself."

"Yes but Uther won't know that! Morgana will only tell him that I tried to kill her!"

"Then you explain to him the truth!" Marina exclaimed.

"Marina, do you really think the King would believe a serving boy over his own Ward?"

"Does she know you have magic?" Marina asked intently.

"No, she doesn't."

"Look Merlin, maybe you're wrong, maybe she won't tell Uther anything. Especially seeing as you know her secret. And it's not just any secret, it's one that could get her executed. Don't worry yourself over it now; wait until tomorrow to see what actually happens."

He knew she was right. He just needed to let go, and work on solving the problems as they come.

"You're right Marina, thank you and sorry for bothering you so late in the evening."

"Don't mention it Merlin, you know I will always be here for you." She smiled genuinely as she tried to comfort her friend.

"Good night." Merlin turned to leave, smiling to himself; he liked Marina's softer side.

 **oOo**

Merlin had been summoned by Arthur to Morgana's chambers. He was unsure why, but he was riddled with worry. What if Morgana had told Arthur about him trying to poison her a year ago? What would be his fate then? Uther would have him hanged! No, burnt!

Merlin swallowed awkwardly as he stood in the doorway of Morgana's chambers. He watched Arthur hugging Morgana in a comforting embrace.

"I think I need to rest." Morgana said after she noticed Merlin enter her chambers.

"Everything is going to be alright." Arthur reassured, "You're safe now."

Merlin watched as the young prince headed toward the door, and was about to follow him, when he heard Morgana call his name. His heart sank as he stopped and turned around.

"I want to speak to you."

Merlin glanced to where Arthur had been moments ago and wished he could follow him.

"I know what you did; you tried to poison me." Morgana started, her voice strained.

"I didn't want to." Merlin managed to say. His pounding heart was drowning out his thoughts; he had tried to imagine this moment many times before Morgana was found and yet he still did not know what she would do or say.

"It's alright Merlin, I understand, you were just trying to protect your friends, I would have done the same."

"Really?" Merlin studied Morgana's face. He could not believe what he'd just heard. Morgana was not holding last year's events against him?

"I was so naive, Merlin. I don't think I really understood what I was doing. But believe me, I have seen the evils in this world, I have seen what Uther fights against. You don't know how much I regret everything I have done." Morgana paused as her tears began to run down her cheeks, "I just hope you can forgive me."

Merlin looked at her in a haze of wonder and disbelief; Morgana was asking him to forgive her?! He felt as though the weight of the world was lifted off his shoulders. He hadn't realised how much the ordeal with Morgana had affected him.

"I'm _so_ sorry for everything you've been through; it's good to have you back."

Morgana smiled gratefully at Merlin before he turned to leave.

 **oOo**

Gwen was making her way back to Gaius' chambers; she had just finished her daily errand. She was glad to have finished early today; she hadn't seen Marina properly since the return of Lady Morgana. Gwen only saw her friend at night in their chambers; even then Marina returned very late and was always exhausted. Despite all, Gwen was proud of her friend, she hadn't moaned once yet; however Gwen knew Marina well enough to know that such an attitude would not last.

"Gwen!"

Gwen heard her name being called behind her, but she didn't need to turn to know that it was Prince Arthur. She had grown very accustomed to hearing his voice. It seemed to send a chill through her body that made her shudder lightly.

"Yes, My Lord?"

"Have you completed your work for today?" asked Arthur.

"Yes, I have, sire."

"Well, I wanted you to come to the knights' training ground today." Arthur said.

Gwen looked at the prince in disbelief. Not this again.

"Sire, I really do not want to train with the knights... I thought-" Gwen began as frustration crept over her. Why was Arthur so persistent about her joining knight training despite their deal to train alone?

"No no Gwen, you've misunderstood me... I want you to _watch_ the knights train, not to train with them. It would help you pick up a few routines." Arthur paused to study Gwen's face change from being clearly troubled to relieved to embarrassed all in one sequence. This amused the prince; he seemed able to read Gwen like an open book; her eyes constantly betrayed her emotions, making life a lot easier for him. He hated having to guess what a woman was thinking or feeling. Frankly, it made his head ache. "And it would be more than useful to have ourselves a physician on site." Arthur's tone had become light-hearted and humorous as he watched Gwen's reaction to his choice of words.

"Of course, Sire. When is the training?" Gwen asked.

"Right now." Answered Arthur, "Would you care to accompany me there?"

"Of course, My Lord." replied Gwen as her face was invaded by a deep shade of red. She found herself focusing on the corridor floor in attempt to control her breathing.

 **oOo**

Marina felt exhausted. How could serving the Lady Morgana be draining her of all her energy? She had decided to go for a walk; watching over her Lady sleeping, confined within the four walls of her elaborate chambers, made her feel like a prisoner. If she was completely honest with herself, there was another reason, something that had been bothering her for a while now, a feeling she couldn't shake off. No matter how much effort she made to dismiss it, it was still there, resurfacing every time she saw Lady Morgana. Truth was, whenever she laid eyes on the Lady, it wasn't her beauty or grace that hit her, but rather an unfathomable strong sense of malevolence.

Once outside, a breeze washed over Marina, which seemed to lift her exhaustion and troubles away, up into the skies. Marina breathed in deeply, allowing herself to relax as the wind blew playfully around her, lifting her dark curls and swaying her dress. She hadn't felt this revived in days! She began walking around the outside of the castle, taking in the sound of silence that seemed so comforting. Marina wished she was accompanying Gwen on a long stroll as they used to back home. Gwen would have appreciated this scenery more than that of their village, yet Marina was sure that they both missed home more than anything. Of course, they had been beyond fortunate this past year, and Marina hadn't felt this secure or content since the last attack on their village, but she knew that the days from her past, shared with Gwen in their little cottage, would never return.

Marina was pulled out of her trance as the peaceful silence was interrupted by the sound of metal swords crashing against each other mercilessly. Marina looked around her to see that she'd been so lost in thought that she hadn't realised where she had been heading. Ahead of her, the knights were training. Marina was just about to leave when she glimpsed Gwen standing on the peripheral of the field watching on intensely. Well this was odd. Curious beyond words, Marina made her way toward the knights and found herself standing beside Merlin.

"Hello, Marina. What are you doing here?" Merlin asked while he sat, sharpening arrows.

"Hey Merlin. Well, I'm just curious as to what Gwen's doing...She hates knights, I don't see why she'd be interested in watching them inflating their egos by trying to tear each other into pieces..."

"Oh, Arthur asked her to watch him train, so she could pick up some moves, apparently." Merlin grinned at Marina as they both looked knowingly at each other.

"Oh, of course. I see now, that clears everything up." Marina commented.

Arthur was blindfolded in the middle of the field as he stood poised with his sword ready to fend off two of his knights. Marina scanned for Gwen, only to see her friend completely engrossed in the prince's training, her eyes screwed with concentration.

"Must change weapons." Arthur ordered as he began pealing the blindfold off his face. The prince made his way toward Merlin and Marina, a grin spread across his face. "What did you think?" he asked.

"Seemed better." Merlin answered simply, making Marina smile beside him.

"Course, well you are the expert at fighting with your eyes closed." Arthur replied mockingly.

"You didn't see what I did when we were rescuing Morgana!"

"Because you were hiding behind a tree." teased Arthur.

"No, I was not!"

Arthur looked at his servant pointedly, before turning to face the other Knights. "I'm not going to use the blindfold; I'm going to fight like Merlin here." Arthur started to whimper towards the centre of the field, towards the two other trainees, as he staggered hiding behind his sword. "I'm Merlin, don't hurt me, don't hurt me!"

Laughter erupted around the prince as he turned his head to grin mockingly at his servant. Marina looked on in sheer disgust. "What did you call him in the woods again? Was it dollop head?" she asked.

"Yes. Yes it was. A pretty accurate description don't you think? Just you wait and see." Merlin answered as Arthur continued his training.

Marina looked questioningly at Merlin as she tried to decipher the meaning of his last remark. Suddenly, his eyes turned golden as he focused on Arthur's sword. Marina turned to see the Prince's weapon fly out of his hand on to the floor, leaving him defenceless. Within seconds, Arthur lay on the ground with mud pasted on his face, after he had been struck by a knight with a mace in his stomach.

Marina pressed her lips together, her eyes gleaming with laughter, as she watched Gwen run towards Arthur.

"Good one."

 **oOo**

The council chambers had been elaborately decorated ready for the feast in tribute to the return of the Lady Morgana. Tables of food and drink were lined up in front of the King's throne. Camelot's colours decorated the walls of the chambers as the room buzzed with laughter and chatter. The King stood between his son and his ward, smiling broadly and ready to speak.

"Standing here and seeing so many happy faces, I can tell you I have not felt like this in a long time." Uther began.

"What, drunk?" Arthur teased.

"Drunk with happiness" replied Uther as he struck Arthur lightly on the arm.

"I would have searched the entire world, the seas, the skies, the stars, for that smile." Uther continued as he looked down lovingly at his ward, his eyes shimmering with delight. "To have it stolen from me was like a blade to my heart. Morgana, there are no words. You mean more to me than you will ever know. The Lady Morgana." the King called out, as the guests toasted his ward.

The room erupted with cheers as Morgana got up to hug her guardian. Gwen stood beside Marina smiling at the scene in front of her eyes. Since her arrival she had not seen the King look this content, even Marina, who was very cynical of Uther and his laws against magic, looked on happily.

"I need some air." Uther announced before turning to leave the feast.

Gwen and Marina continued to serve the guests, making sure everyone was comfortable, as Merlin walked around them, in time with the music, smiling to himself.

Suddenly, a scream pierced the air. Everything froze.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Gwen could not help but feel protective of the King as Arthur struggled to carry him to his bed. They had found him rolled up in a tight ball in the court yard, crying and mumbling to himself. Gwen had prepared a strong sleeping draft on Gaius' orders.

"Careful." Morgana instructed as Marina helped her to rearrange Uther's bed sheets. "Is he going to be alright?" she asked.

"He should sleep 'til morning." Gaius reassured.

Arthur looked down on his father, his face riddled with concern. He needed to know what had happened.

"Marina, stay with your Lady and see to her and the King's needs." Arthur ordered, before turning to leave his father's chambers followed by Gaius. Merlin and Gwen looked at each other, silently confirming their permission to follow.

"What could have made him like this?" Arthur demanded, looking past Gwen and Merlin at Gaius, who he felt knew more than he was telling.

"I have no idea." Replied the physician as he started to make his way to his chambers.

"Gaius, he was laying on the ground crying." Arthur said in exasperation.

The old man paused and turned to face his Prince, "Exhaustion."

"Gaius!" warned Arthur. "What aren't you telling me? What's wrong with him? Tell me!" Arthur had walked up to his physician; he stood inches away from him eying him intensely.

"When I found him he was mumbling, most of it was incoherent, but..."

"What?"

"He kept mentioning your mother's name."

"He never talks about her!" Arthur mused.

"He claimed that he saw her... in the well." Gaius explained.

"Did the guards see him in this state?" Arthur asked after he had looked around him, making sure that only Gwen and Merlin were within earshot.

"I think you are worrying too much." Gaius said calmly.

"If the people get to know about this..."

"...we say that he was ill but now he's recovered." interrupted Gaius as he attempted to reassure Arthur.

 **oOo**

Marina was about to leave for bed when she noticed that Morgana's chambers were still lit. She decided to check on her mistress before heading for the servants' quarters. As she approached, Marina could hear rustling from inside.

"My Lady," she called out as she entered the chambers. "I saw the light; I wanted to make sure you were alright." Marina explained as she smiled politely.

"I'm fine." Morgana answered quickly.

"You're still dressed." Marina made for her mistress, ready to help her change.

"I will prepare myself for bed."

"Are you sure?"

"That will be all, Marina." Morgana answered sharply as her eyes flashed dangerously.

Marina looked into them. They seemed to extend deep into her soul; although not quite like Merlin's. They seemed to be laced with something more, something dangerous. Marina blinked once to clear her mind before bowing awkwardly and heading for the door.

 **oOo**

Gwen sat in her bed, a candle beside her, reading through an anatomy book that Gaius had lent to her. She was so fully engrossed in it that when Marina slammed their bedroom door, she jumped in shock. Gwen looked up in surprise as she hurried towards her and sat on the edge of her friend's bed.

"What's wrong Marina?" Gwen asked with concern.

"I'm not sure…" replied Marina as she frowned deeply, her thoughts miles away.

"What do you mean? I know that look; something is bothering you. Just tell me."

"It's Morgana."

"What about her?"

"I don't know... it's just that she seems to be pushing me away from her...I know I'm a replacement and that she doesn't know me very well yet but...I feel like there's something more to it..." answered Marina, her eyes fixed on her hands as she tried to make sense of her own words.

"Well, maybe she just sees you as her maid and that's all?" suggested Gwen. She hated seeing this confused and worried Marina who was so different to the friend she knew: the bubbly and confident Marina who never failed to make her smile.

"No, I feel like she's hiding something, something bad which she doesn't want me to find out about." Marina finished before looking up to study her friend's face. Gwen was focused on every word that Marina had spoken. She stayed silent for a few moments as she processed Marina's worries.

Finally she spoke, "Marina, I trust your instincts as should you. So when you tell me something is off about Morgana, I believe you. No shadow of a doubt. But you have to be careful."

Marina smiled softly at Gwen. This was why she trusted her with her own life. She always understood her better than anyone else.

"Yes I will be, Gwen," reassured Marina, "but don't you think I should do something... I don't know what but—"

"Marina, I think the only thing you can do is keep an eye on Morgana. You're her maid so it's only natural for you to be at her side as often as you can. That could easily be your cover, but don't forget what I said before, you need-"

"To be careful, I know." Marina interrupted as she winked at her friend before getting up for bed.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Gwen had heard that the King had suffered from another attack, and whilst heading towards Gaius' chambers, she tried coming up with an explanation...yet nothing came.

"There must be some explanation." She heard Merlin say in exasperation as she entered the chambers. She really could not think what could possibly be causing Uther so much trouble. It made no sense to her. Frustration washed over as she realised how helpless she was; she could do nothing to help her King, except stand and watch him suffer. Merlin and Gwen both looked up at Gaius, hopeful for answers. Just as Gaius launched into his explanation, Marina walked in.

"During the great purge, Uther drowned many he suspected with sorcerery; some, God help them, were children, killed for the magic they were born with. Maybe his conscience is playing tricks on him. Whatever it is, we can no longer hide this. The king's hold on his people is a very fragile thing... they start to lose faith in him; I fear for Camelot." Gaius looked on with intensity at Merlin and Gwen. The latter looked over at Marina, who was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, a clear look of mingled disgust and fear upon her face. She thought of how much Marina undoubtedly hated the King for this, and would probably think that he deserved what was now happening to him...Still, Gwen did not think anyone deserved such a punishment as what the King seemed to be suffering...No matter what they'd done.

Warning bells rang loudly.

All four looked at each other. What was happening now?

 **oOo**

Marina had returned to her mistress' chambers as soon as the warning bells had rung. Granted, she didn't like her much, but it didn't mean that she wouldn't take care of her. With the King's madness and the city in turmoil, there was no predicting as to what would happen next. As she reached the chambers, she frowned. The door was wide open. Coming in, she looked around.

"Lady Morgana?"

Nothing. Marina noticed that one her Lady's capes had gone. Where was Morgana? Just as she was about to leave the room, the Lady came in...Looking strangely pleased. As soon as she saw Marina however, her expression hardened.

"What are you doing here?"

"Nothing...I just wanted to make sure that you were okay..."

"Well I'm fine...Thank you."

Marina frowned as Morgana made her way to her screens in an awkward manner...Almost as if hiding something.

"Would you like any help? Dinner will be soon, perhaps I could—"

"No."

Then, seeing Marina's startled expression, she smiled.

"Thank you, that's very thoughtful of you but I'd like to rest a little..."

With that, the King's ward turned around, clearly signalling that the conversation was now over. Marina left, closing the door behind her quietly. Once out of the chambers, she let herself relax, and wondered about Morgana's strange behaviour, and what exactly she had been doing outside of the castle. Then remembering the reason why she had headed to her mistress' chambers in the first place, she made for Gaius' chambers in order to find Gwen, and the reason for the recent commotion.

 **oOo**

This was too much. Merlin once more saw in his mind the unconscious sentry, lying upon the ground, blood oozing out of a deep abdomen wound, as a dark metal dagger protruded from it. Why? Why had that particular guard being injured in the first place? As he was making his way to the King's chambers with a newly prepared potion clutched firmly in his hands, he grew more frustrated as the recent events fuelled his suspicions. Who could be behind all this? It cannot have been coincidence that the sentry with all the answers died suddenly, despite Gaius and Gwen claiming that he was recovering!

"Merlin?"

He saw Marina coming towards him, looking troubled.

"Do you know why the warning bells rang? What happened?"

"One of the sentries was almost fatally wounded..."

He saw her gasp at the news, and bring her hand to her mouth in shock.

"What? Why? Who would have...? Are we under attack or something?"

"We don't know...The thing is, we had brought him to Gaius' chambers to nurse him and ask who was behind it, but he just...died."

Marina frowned. He could see that she was asking herself exactly the same questions he had earlier.

"Clearly, someone didn't want him to speak. God Merlin, if he really was killed, doesn't that mean that it was done by someone from within the castle?"

"It's possible...I don't recall seeing any unfamiliar faces around..."

"This is madness...Someone is going round killing people and we don't even know who it is!"

Merlin bit his lip as Marina became more and more worried. He wished he could comfort her, but there was nothing he could say or do to make it all go away...This was all very much real.

"We'll figure this out Marina, don't worry."

Although she smiled up at him, she didn't seem convinced.

"Then tell me why, Merlin, I feel like this is only the beginning of it all?"

 **oOo**

She was trying real hard not to think about the possible link between the attack on the guard and the fact that Morgana had been out. She couldn't explain it, but the more she was around Morgana, the more she felt repelled by...She hadn't spoken about it to anyone, but it bothered her. It bothered her a lot. She couldn't stand experiencing things that were beyond her control. She headed to Gaius' chambers to see how Gwen was coping with all the events that had been happening. As soon as she entered, her friend rushed to her.

"Marina! Oh God, something awful has happened!"

"I know Gwen...Merlin told me..."

"But who could have done it I don't understand!"

She ought to tell her. About Morgana. She really ought to...But she found that she couldn't. After all, she did not actually know where her lady had been...She could have just taken a stroll outside. Avoiding Gwen's gaze, and praying that her friend would not notice her unease she replied;

"I don't know..."

"Between this and the King's illness..."

Marina saw her friend sigh and her shoulders sag as she left her sentence unfinished. For a city who was governed by a King who condemned magic, a lot of obscure things were happening. She couldn't help but think that maybe, if the King had not murdered all these people for having a gift that they were born with, if they had even been magical in the first place, none of this would be happening. Perhaps this was simply a sort of...curse, put upon the King and his Kingdom for all the injustice he had been guilty of showing for so long.

 **oOo**

Merlin was making his way to the King's chambers with yet another newly prepared potion clutched firmly in his hands. He felt as if he had been thrown into deep waters and left to find his own way out. He couldn't even begin to make head or tail of _anything._

Lost in thought, he reached Uther's chambers faster than he had anticipated and entered, knowing that there was no need to knock; the King was fast asleep. Merlin crossed the immaculate chambers quietly and placed the potion beside Uther's bed. He could not help but pause to gaze at his King. What could be doing this to him? Merlin had never seen Uther so powerless and vulnerable, attributes which felt unnatural to use in conjunction with the King's name. Merlin gently rearranged his covers, wrapping him more securely.

Drip, drip, drip.

Merlin glanced at the marble floor beneath his feet where the source of the sound seemed to be coming from. Thick, dark blotches were accumulating beside the King's bed. Burning with curiosity, Merlin bent down to investigate the peculiar liquid. It felt cold against his hands. What could it be? Could Gaius—

 _Footsteps_! Someone was approaching the King's chambers.

In a fit of panic Merlin rolled himself under Uther's bed. He felt his heart momentarily stop as his head hit against a soggy straw doll that hung limply from the bed frame. He remained still. A hand reached out under the bed and pulled out the doll. The footsteps began to get quieter as their owner headed for the door. Merlin quickly rearranged his position, allowing for him to see the intruder.

He could not believe his eyes.

Morgana.

Merlin had to find out what she was up to.

 **oOo**

"Merlin?"

"He's not here Marina..."

"Oh...I thought he might be with you..."

"I should think that he's probably with Arthur..."

So far she had looked everywhere she could think of and yet, he was nowhere to be found. Where was he? No doubt Gaius was right and that Arthur had dragged him along with him somewhere...

"Okay, thank you Gaius."

Leaving, she headed for Arthur's chambers. No answer. She took a peek inside, but was disappointed as she realised that it was empty...Completely empty.

 **oOo**

He was lying on the forest floor, bruised and struggling to breathe. Chained, he was helpless. Gathering the little strength he had left, he struggled against the tight grip of the chains, trying desperately to somehow escape. Even his magic was no use. Morgause's enchantment was just too powerful.

" _Abrika benda_ "

Nothing. Just like the last time he tried...And the one before that.

" _ABRIKA BENDA_ "

Still nothing.

" _Erunfes nunga enlucath mer_ "

The chains remained firm against Merlin's bruising skin.

Twigs around him were being broken. Someone was coming... or something.

 **oOo**

Lost in thought, Gwen entered her chambers, after another long day's work with Gaius. Her thoughts had been of Merlin and his whereabouts; the court physician had shared his worries about the situation, and his concern had rubbed off on her, leaving Gwen more than anxious. Where could he be? It was not like him to wonder off without telling anyone, especially not Gaius.

Gwen had started preparing herself for bed, when Marina walked in, her eyes restless, her face expressing deep and anxious concern.

"Marina, are you okay? How has your day been?" Gwen enquired as her heart sank at the sight of her friend. Marina looked awful. Her eyes were framed in red as if she had been crying for hours; her lips sagged at the corners.

"Fine." Marina answered as she sat at the edge of her bed, staring into an empty space across their chambers.

"Are you sure?" Gwen moved to sit beside Marina. "You don't look fine. Is it something to do with Morgana? Has she upset you?"

"No." Replied Marina, her gaze remained fixed, yet her eyes betrayed the state of a troubled mind.

"Then what is it? Tell me!"

"Merlin." Though Marina's reply contained only two syllables, there were many emotions pressed into them. Gwen felt her own heart sink as her recent worries over their friend resurfaced. She could see Marina fighting back tears as they both remained silent for a few minutes, a silence filled with unspoken words. Eventually, Marina turned to face her friend, her eyes frantic with worry. Gwen felt a sharp stab in her chest as she realised it was her responsibility to comfort her, despite the fact that she shared her sentiments.

"Marina," She placed her hand firmly on her friend's arm, hoping that the gesture would transmit the love and warmth she felt for her. "Don't worry too much, you know what he's like. He'll be back soon. Besides, for all you know, he might be with Arthur."

Marina started wringing her hands, looking up at her with an expression akin to despair.

"Gwen, he's been gone for two days now, and neither you, Gaius or myself have seen him...Surely that wouldn't be the case if he was in the castle with Arthur. I'm certain that he's in some sort of trouble." Chewing her lip, Marina hoped that Gwen would tell her she was wrong, that Merlin had simply wanted some fresh air, away from the castle perhaps...Or that Arthur had kept him behind to do some chores, but her friend remained silent. 'I just, I think that we would have crossed paths by now...Oh Gwen! I'm sure that he's not here...!"

Just then, understanding dawned on Gwen as she gazed at Marina's grief stricken face; she hadn't realised the true extent of her friend's emotions.

"Okay," She paused as she thought of the best way to confront Marina about what had just hit her. "Answer me honestly..." Though she had a good idea of the answer that would come, she couldn't help but hope that she was wrong. If anything had happened to Merlin, Marina would never get over it.

"Do you love him?"

She studied Marina's face carefully as the latter averted her eyes. Finding a loose thread on the end of her dress' sleeve, Marina pulled at it for a few seconds, summoning the courage to answer Gwen's question. Inhaling deeply, she stopped playing with the thread and closed her eyes. There was no getting away from the simple truth. In hushed tones, she whispered;

"I do."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Her feelings in turmoil, Marina was struggling to fight back her tears. Her confession to Gwen was almost as much of a confession to herself. She had been vaguely aware that her feelings for Merlin were in danger of slipping into something more dangerous, but she had decided to push that knowledge to the back of her mind, where she could keep it at bay. Now, she not only had acknowledged it herself, but had thrown it out into the open, something she had always tried to avoid. But what did it matter now, Merlin was gone...Gone, and no one, not even Gaius, knew where to. Oh God, please let him be alright. A sharp voice brought her back to reality.

"Marina!"

Seeing Morgana walk towards her, graceful as ever, made Marina shiver. She wasn't yet accustomed to the Lady's strange and powerful aura. She seemed almost...—

"Marina, what were you doing?! Where were you?! You were supposed to be in my chambers over half an hour ago, helping me get ready for dinner!"

"I'm sorry my Lady. I was...I guess I lost track of time..."

"You better have a good explanation to give me."

Morgana stood directly opposite her, her icy stare boring into her, waiting for said explanation. Although she once would have retorted angrily, regardless of the fact that Morgana was the King's ward, Marina hadn't the strength to do so today. Deciding that the truth was always better in these kinds of situations, Marina proceeded in explaining.

"I was worried my Lady...for Merlin. He's been gone for two days now, and no one knows where he is..."

"So your 'worry' made you lose track of time? I find that hard to believe. Besides, there is no reason to worry. Merlin is just a servant isn't he?"

Knowing that the Lady and Guinevere, who had served her beforehand, had been very close, Marina was greatly surprised by what she heard. She had always assumed that the Lady was not one to uphold society's rules and boundaries that distanced the 'rich' from the 'poor'... Unless she had a personal grudge against Merlin. Come to think of it...He _had_ poisoned her last year, in order to save the Kingdom. Maybe she held that against him! But then... surely she knows that he had no choice, that it was the only way? She ought to have understood...A person who would be selfish enough to choose themselves over the lives of hundreds of people, along with the ones who have looked after and cared for her, would have to be...Well, put simply, they'd have to be evil.

"But what if something has happened to him? What if –"

"That's enough. I don't want to hear it. Just make sure that you never do this again. Or else I will make sure that the King hears of your constant _lacking_ performance."

As Morgana walked away briskly, Marina felt a deep unease regarding the conversation that had just taken place. Morgana had seemed almost _hostile_ at the mention of Merlin...His sudden disappearance had clearly left her unfazed, which again, was something that bothered her... Something strange was going on, but what?

 **oOo**

Gwen sat opposite Gaius, watching him attempt to read one of his potion books as she mixed herbs into her new potion. She saw his eyes darting, frequently, towards the chambers' door in anticipation, as if he expected Merlin to walk in at any minute. Gwen felt her own concern merge in with Gaius'; this was the only place where she could allow her recent emotions to show. In front of Marina, she had to be strong and confident of Merlin's return. Her friend needed that support.

"Gwen?" Gaius' voice pulled Gwen out of thoughts.

"Yes, Gaius."

"Did Merlin tell you anything the day he disappeared, you know, anything to lead us to him at all?" Gaius asked, his eyes masked with desperation.

"No Gaius, he didn't. I don't know where he could be. It makes no sense to me."

"Me neither, Gwen." Gwen glanced at Gaius' face at the sound of the deep anxiety in his voice. She had never seen him like this before and it hurt to see her mentor look so pained. Again, Gwen realised that she had to offer some words of reassurance, even though, she, herself was in need of comforting. It had just become apparent to her that Gaius was like a true father to Merlin. She knew Merlin never lived with his father and knew very little about him, but she was glad he had found some sort of replacement in Gaius.

Gwen studied the old physician's fragile face, his features kind and gentle despite the anxiety they held.

"Gaius."

"Yes, my child."

"Merlin will come back. He knows how much he means to us all. You know he will, regardless of what is keeping him."

Gaius looked up to meet Gwen's soft gaze. He smiled genuinely,

"Thank you, Gwen." He said, before turning his attention back to his book, leaving Gwen to her potion.

 **oOo**

His head was full of the dragon's wise words... " _Your determination to see goodness in people will be your undoing"_ he had said...Merlin shook his head. How was he supposed to remain sane if he had to suddenly be suspicious of everyone? Although he instinctively defended himself against the dragon's warning, deep down he knew he was right...He had to be careful with whom he trusted... " _She is the darkness to your light, the hatred to your love"._ With a sigh, Merlin recalled all the moments he had shared with Morgana before she had turned against them...He had really thought that he had found a friend...Someone like himself, born with a gift they didn't fully understand. How he had wanted to help her...But she had gone over to the other side, and there was nothing anyone could do to bring her back. She was stubborn, fierce and with a mind of her own; not one who would let themselves be influenced...He grimaced as he realised that almost exactly the same description could be used for Marina. The more he thought of it, the more he realised how similar those two were...Both spirited, quick tempered, and fiery. The only main difference was Morgana's cunning against Marina's innocence. Morgana knew how to manipulate, he had certainly found that out in the past few days; but Marina was too innocent minded to be clever in such a way...The only thing that frightened him was her growing dislike for the King. She resented the war he waged against magic. She hadn't explicitly told him so but she didn't need to. He could see it plainly whenever Uther made any allusion to magic. Once, she looked so outraged he had been afraid of her losing control and setting the King on fire. Although he couldn't stop himself from smiling slightly at the image, he knew he ought to be careful. God, so much was happening so fast! Shaking his head once more, he picked up the pace. He had to tell Gaius of Morgana and Morgause's exchange in the woods, and get rid of the enchantment they had cast over Uther. Merlin finally reached the physician's chambers, where Gaius was sleeping.

"You need to wake up."

"Merlin?! Where have you been?"

Ignoring the question, Merlin took Gaius' robe, with the intention of putting it on for him.

"I don't have time to explain."

"Are you alright?"

In his hurry, Merlin, whilst still ignoring the questions, mistakenly put the right sleeve on his mentor's left arm. With a tut, Gaius took his arm out of the sleeve, allowing Merlin to put the robe on correctly.

"Morgana is in league with Morgause, she's plotting against Uther."

"What?!"

Aware that time was ticking away; Merlin quickly told Gaius what he had discovered.

"She's responsible for his visions; come on hurry up, there's something I need to show you.

 **oOo**

She was sure she'd heard something, or _someone_ , walking past her chambers. Someone who had suspiciously sounded like Merlin. Quickly throwing on whatever she found lying around; Marina blindly stumbled to the door, trying to make as little noise as possible so as not to wake Gwen. Although she knew that it was far more likely that her mind was playing tricks on her than it actually having been Merlin, she wouldn't be able to rest until she had made sure. Walking briskly in the direction she thought she had heard the footsteps head towards, Marina's heart leapt as she saw Gaius walking alongside Merlin. Running towards them as quietly as she could, she assaulted Merlin from behind.

"You're back! Oh my God you're back!"

Her joy evaporated as Merlin extracted himself from her hug, and without even the slightest of smiles, spoke to her urgently.

"Marina not now. There's no time."

As she saw Merlin turn around to carry on walking, she immediately followed, determined not to be kept in the dark about what seemed to be so urgent. Realising that they were heading towards the King's chambers, Marina's curiosity was sparked. This was swiftly replaced by shock as she studied the state of the room they had just entered. Everything had been thrown to the floor, tapestries had been ripped off the walls and the King's bed was empty. All three took in the unusual scene that was displayed before them; then started looking around for the King. Gaius found him in the room adjacent to the one they had entered, against the wall, next to the window.

"Uther?"

Shivers ran down Marina's spine as she saw the King suddenly grasp Gaius' robes, a horrified expression consuming his face. Almost in tears, Uther seemed to be looking at something. Although she couldn't see anything, Marina was sure that the King could. Whatever it was, it had transformed the King into a nervous, horrified wreck. As the King's screams intensified, Merlin sprung into action. He ran into the other room, retrieved an odd, black and slimy looking _thing_ \- Marina couldn't discern what it was exactly- and threw it in the fire. The next thing she knew, a strident high pitched screech resounded in her head, threatening to split it in half. Grabbing her head in her hands, she willed it to stop. As it died down, she noticed that Gaius was looking at her with a rather bemused expression on his face. Had she been the only one to hear that? She was certain she had seen Merlin react to it too. Pushing this to the back of her mind, she became aware that the King's agitation had suddenly ceased, and only a crushing wariness remained in his tired face.

"It was an enchantment Sire." Gaius explained, "You need to rest."

The King uttered a barely audible whisper;

"Rest..."

Marina stood back as Merlin and Gaius carried the King back to his bed. An enchantment? Did that mean that there was definitely a traitor in the Castle? Surely only a well-known and trusted figure would be allowed anywhere near the King's chambers...She followed the others to the other room; Gaius emptied a potion into a goblet, and offered it to the King.

"Please drink this Sire. It will help you to sleep."

Bringing the goblet to Uther's lips, the physician ensured that he drank most of its contents. The King was clearly going to need a lot of rest after everything he had gone through.

 **oOo**

Merlin walked back with Gaius to their chambers. Although Marina had protested, he had forced her to go back to her own chambers. He didn't want her to know who was responsible for the enchantment; it would only put her in danger, and seeing as she was Morgana's maid, he really did not want her finding out that the woman she already seems to dislike was in fact, responsible for all this havoc. Although she already knew that Morgana has magic and that her half-sister is evil, she did not know the full story, and he most definitely did not want Marina knowing that Morgana was evil too. God only knew what she might say to Morgana then. Finally in the safety of their chambers, Merlin turned to Gaius.

"We must tell Uther what Morgana has done."

Gaius looked at him incredulously.

"Are you mad?! He'd have both our heads if we made such accusations; he'd look on it as treason."

"We can't just let her get away with it."

"He dotes on her every word Merlin."

"But...If he knew—"

"You've seen how blind he is to her faults."

Merlin knew that Gaius' reasoning was right. Uther would never believe either of them. But it was so unfair! There was a traitor amongst his council, plotting against him right under his nose and yet, they could do nothing about it. Enraged, Merlin silently cursed the King's stupidity. Gaius interrupted his thoughts.

"Besides, the root is gone now. It can do no more harm."

"No, you don't understand. I heard Morgana and Morgause; there's more to their plan I'm sure of it."

Merlin didn't exactly know what the sisters were up to yet, but he was sure they'd all find out very soon.

 **oOo**

Things were heating up. The council had been called; and the worst confirmed. An army was now making its way to Camelot. An army reportedly comprising of twenty thousand men, if not more. Arthur had made a difficult decision, but one he thought best for the city. They were to prepare for a siege. Gwen shuddered; she hated battle. The thought of all these men going out to fight, putting their lives on the line to save their kingdom...She had a sudden flash, where the Prince was being savagely run through with a blade by one of Cenred's mercenaries. Running her hand over her face, she breathed in deeply. Gwen could see how difficult this was for Arthur, and had to stay strong. If anything, he was the one in most need of comfort. She hated seeing him so desolate. With his father still too weak to take control of the situation, the Prince had to bear the weight of a whole Kingdom along with its people on his shoulders. What a crushing responsibility he must feel. Suddenly, she recalled a peculiar moment that had passed during the council...Gwen had caught a strange look that had passed between Merlin and Morgana. They had seemed almost...hateful of each other...Perhaps Marina was right in doubting the Lady Morgana after all...

 **oOo**

This was the biggest challenge he'd ever faced without his father by his side. The whole of Camelot's destiny rested in his hands, and he wasn't sure he could handle that right now. One, small, wrong decision and he could be putting the whole Kingdom in danger. Well, in more danger than it already was in. A knock on the door caused Arthur to turn around. He was greatly surprised to see Gwen, looking clearly embarrassed, hovering awkwardly about the doorway.

"I'm sorry I—I didn't mean to..."

"No! Come in, please."

Gwen walked towards Arthur as he leaned back against the table behind him.

"How is your father?"

"I could do with him here..."

"You should have more faith in yourself."

Surprising him, she closed up the gap that she had left between them; looking up at him with innocent eyes. Her gaze was so intense, so full of affection, that he felt he might end up doing something very unwise and very unlike him.

"I trust you Arthur, as everyone else does. Just forget everything else, you have to follow what you believe is right."

He had never realised how wise Gwen could sound. Her words rang true, and yet he felt it odd that she was the one to say them. From the beginning, she had always been bashful and sweet, her strength residing in her ability to stay calm and controlled. Realising that she had put her hand on his arm, probably just to show some support, he put his hand over hers. Guiltily, he thought of how what she had told him would be the kind of thing Guinevere would say to him. He couldn't let himself fall for Gwen. He couldn't. He still loved Guinevere; it would be wrong of him to indulge in whatever feelings might be developing for Gwen. There was a strong attraction, he couldn't hide that fact, but that did not give him the right to fool around with her. He had been looking down at her as he thought of all this, and she back at him. He hoped she could not read what he had been thinking in his eyes. He hoped she couldn't see the pain that had been caused by losing Guinevere, the confusion his mixed feelings had created, the yearning to be loved that his aching heart had stirred.

 **oOo**

Gwen and Marina were both helping out prepare for the siege ahead. A makeshift hospital had been created in expectation of the casualties that were going to need attention and treatment. Gwen was obviously to stay at Gaius' side, helping in the hospital. Marina was not obliged to do so, but she still felt it her duty to help. She did not know much about caring for patients, but she was quick to learn. As they were putting sheets on beds and carrying supplies of water to the tables, Merlin, Arthur and Sir Leon walked by them, conferring with each other regarding the preparations that were underway. As Arthur sent the other men on errands, Marina noticed that his gaze was drawn straight to Gwen. From across the room, they looked at each other, Gwen smiling, and Arthur returning the gesture with a nod of his head. Something was happening between those two...Or perhaps it had already happened. Marina was happy that Gwen had made a close friend, and yet she was afraid of seeing her get hurt. After all, Princes don't marry maids.


	13. Chapter 13

The time had come to face Cenred's army. Merlin found Arthur at his King's bedside. Silent, the prince simply contemplated his father sadly; no doubt wishing that all this had never happened. Merlin hated to interrupt; the scene before him was almost too...intimate to be intruded into. After a last look at his Father, the prince walked out of his King's chambers, straight to the top of the towers, to get a good look at what it was that they were going against. Merlin felt pure fear rise in him as he beheld the thousands of men they were going to have to face soon. He seriously started to doubt whether any of them were going to come out of this alive. Leaving the knights to get ready for the imminent battle, the two made their way to the Prince's chambers. As he helped Arthur to get ready, Merlin wondered whether this night was going to be the last he would ever witness. Whether this was the last time he would ever see Arthur...Whether they were all going to survive this attack.

 **oOo**

As Arthur walked down the castle corridor to join his men, he thought about how lucky he was to have such supporting friends. Both Gwen and Merlin had explicit faith in him, as did his knights. The only person who hadn't seemed very concerned was Marina. But then, he wasn't expecting any kind of special treatment from her. Having her just following his orders without any remarks or outright challenges on his authority was already a blessing in and of itself. He had always wondered how Gwen and Marina had become such close friends...They were like sisters to each other and yet their temperaments were as different as fire and water.

"Sire."

The prince looked up only to find Marina heading towards him. Well if that wasn't a strange coincidence.

"Marina? Aren't you supposed to be at the hospit—"

"If you're going to reprimand me about not doing my duties then save it."

If he hadn't been about to fight one of the biggest battles he had ever faced, Arthur would have blown up. But he smiled this time.

"What is it?"

"I...just wanted to wish you luck..."

"I'll need more than that...I'll need a miracle..."

"Oh don't pretend you don't know how good you are!"

"What?"

"You know full well that you are one of the most if not _the_ most skilful swordsman around for miles, and that your knights have been trained to almost perfection! You've even started training your maids!"

Ignoring that last comment completely, the prince replied in an amused voice.

"Yes, but that does not bring a great deal to a battle when we are outnumbered two to one."

"Cenred's army may be larger, but ours is stronger. We have _faith_. Faith in our leader and faith in our knights. But you must have faith in _yourself_. Stop doubting yourself and start to believe in victory for God's sake! What's the point in going into battle thinking you're going to lose? You may as well surrender straight away."

So she was the third person to give him the same piece of advice. Had they all decided to say the same thing to him or something? Although Marina's way of putting things wasn't as soft as Gwen's, or as subtle as Merlin's, he had to admit she had a point. If not a few.

"Thank you Marina, I didn't know you cared!"

"I don't."

How nice...

"I'm only doing this for Gwen. She won't admit it, but you've become a friend that she really values. Having you going off and dying would be...well it would almost destroy her. I don't want her to get hurt, so I've got to watch out for you; as much as that annoys me. So don't think I'm giving you any kind of special treatment, I'm just looking out for Gwen."

"So you're telling me that you would happily let me die?"

"Well...not quite."

"Ah, so you do care!"

"A little..."

This woman was unbreakable. Resigning himself to the fact that this was all he would be able to get from her, he decided to leave. His knights needed him.

"Well, goodbye Marina."

"Goodbye my Lord."

Then, taking the prince by complete surprise, Marina bowed to him, before saying;

"See you tomorrow."

She walked away, leaving the Prince to doubt what he had seen. She never _ever_ bowed to him. She even had difficulty bowing to the King himself! And yet here she had swallowed her pride and bowed. With a smile, he thought to himself, if this was how she behaved before he went into battle, perhaps he'd make a point of battling more often.

 **oOo**

The fighting had started. The enemies had entered the fortress and were now relentlessly knocking against the wall of soldiers blocking the entry to the inner part of the castle. Merlin headed to the hospital, looking for Gaius and Marina. He found Gaius first, who already had wounds to treat. Nodding in the direction of where Morgana stood, he urgently spoke to the physician.

"Gaius. One of us needs to keep an eye on her."

"Don't worry I am."

Suddenly, screams were heard as a missile hit close to the room in which they were in. Merlin left Gaius to it, running outside to join Arthur in the battle. Another missile was thrown and landed so close to Merlin that he had to launch himself sideways to avoid being hit. Through the flames and the panic, he looked around to see if there was anything he could do. Missiles were hitting the castle from all over the place now; soldiers were persistently fighting against the opposing army. The clashing of swords against swords could be heard all around as shouts and screams echoed in the night.

 **oOo**

Marina had never seen so much pain and suffering. Every few minutes, another gravely wounded soldier would be brought in.

"Marina, could you clean his cut and bandage it please?"

Gwen had managed to remain calm through all the chaos. Marina wondered how she did it. Following her orders, she proceeded in taking care of the soldier whose chest had been pierced by an arrow. As she finished bandaging the wound, the scene of her mother's death suddenly reappeared before her eyes. All this screaming, all these wounds and groans took her back to the day her village was raided. Hating herself for her weakness but unable to carry on, Marina ran out of the room, ignoring Gwen's calls. She needed fresh air...Realising that going outside would not be the best of ideas, she simply stopped in the entryway leading out into the courtyard. Just as she prepared to go back inside, Morgana walked past her. She would have cast it off as something insignificant had she not seen, a few seconds later, Gaius walking past, his gaze following Morgana intently. He stopped as Morgana reached the other side of the courtyard and slipped through a door; observing her. Once she was inside, he followed suit. Marina waited a little, then, impulsively, she followed them. As she tried to guess which direction they had taken, Marina suddenly heard footsteps approaching. Quickly hiding behind an open door, she relaxed as she saw Gaius walk past, oblivious to her. He was probably heading back to the hospital. Without Morgana. Seconds later, Marina saw the Lady leave her chambers with a strange staff in her hands; heading the opposite way to the one Gaius had taken. Marina had to make a choice; and fast. She could either go back to the hospital, or follow the King's ward. Her curiosity got the better of her. Cautiously, she followed Morgana, intrigued as to where she was going.

 **oOo**

Running back to the hospital, Merlin looked for Gaius. He was nowhere to be seen.

"Gwen! Where's Gaius?"

"I don't know!"

Marina had gone missing too. Still looking, Merlin finally caught sight of Gaius. The old man looked worried as he walked towards him.

"Morgana's disappeared."

Oh God. That was what he had feared the most. She had probably planned something with Morgause and was now somewhere carrying it out. How was he going to find her?

 **oOo**

The vault? Why on earth was Morgana heading there? Marina crouched low behind a tomb, looking on at what exactly the Lady was doing. Her throat was itching due to the dust-filled, musty air. This place was revolting. Moth-bitten materials hung from the high ceiling, cobwebs were filling almost any available space and the smell of rot permeated the place. Seemingly unbothered, Morgana took off her cape, letting it fall to the floor. She walked towards the far end of the huge vault, stopped, and looked around, a sinister, satisfied smile on her face. Marina's stomach clenched as she observed her carefully. Despite Marina's efforts to find her every excuse under the sun, she had to admit that right now, Morgana was certainly acting like evil personified.

 **oOo**

He had to find her. She couldn't have gone _that_ far. And Marina? Where was _she_? So much was going on all at once that Merlin felt overwhelmed. Running to Morgana's chambers, Merlin silently cursed as he saw that it was empty. Running through options in his mind, he realised that she could be anywhere in the castle. God, she could have left the castle and gone to Morgause! There were too many options, and time was running out.

 **oOo**

Marina watched as Morgana lifted the staff with both her hands, and with a hoarse scream, brought it down, shattering the tiles of the vault beneath it.

Time stood still.

Marina's blood froze. She felt a surge of unbelievably strong and intense energy run through her, causing her to lurch forward. Gasping, she was on all fours, trying to stabilise herself. Her heart was racing, her head ringing, and with that, the strongest sense of foreboding had overcome her. What had Morgana done?!

 **oOo**

As he walked back to the hospital, Merlin suddenly stopped short. He eyes had lost their focus, his breathing had been cut short, and his whole body felt as if it would implode. Something caused him to jerk back, as if a hand had abruptly pulled at his heart. Heat rushed through him. Then, just as it had come, it left. He could only think of one person responsible for this.

 **oOo**

With increasing alarm, Marina looked on as the staff that was now planted in the vault floor started to glow. Its head strangely resembled the branches of a tree, and in its heart, a luminous ball of light had emerged. Suddenly, the light extended from the staff to the tomb closest to Morgana. Marina was astonished as the light extended to another tomb, then another, and another, with increasing speed until all of them had been touched. Before she could start to ask herself what on earth was going on, a _skeletal hand_ came out of the tomb near her. Suppressing a scream, Marina ran out of the vault as fast as she could before these...these _things_ were fully out of their tombs and killed her. Not caring whether Morgana could see her, she ran back to the hospital, looking for Merlin. She found Gaius.

"Marina? What happened to you? Where have you been?"

"Merlin! Where is he?"

"Merlin? He's out there with Arthur, why?"

"Oh God!"

She needed to tell him what was going on before it was too late!

 **oOo**

Running at full speed, Merlin had never felt so overwhelmed. This was not possible. Not now! They already had one army to fight, they really didn't need another. Merlin now realised what Morgana had done. She had somehow caused the dead to rise again. Only, they had no flesh. Just bones. Bones with swords and shields...He remembered how barely a moment ago, he had seen the prince walk towards one of the skeletons, run his sword into it, but cause no damage whatsoever. The skeleton had just shrugged, clearly unattained by what should have been a crippling blow. Seeing that things were turning for the worst, the Prince had ordered him to warn Gaius, and to tell him to seal off the hospital. He found Gaius with the King, trying to persuade him to rest and let Arthur take care of the Kingdom.

"Gaius!"

The physician left the King, and walked to Merlin.

"You need to seal off the hospital. The castle is under attack from within."

"What are you talking about?"

"Morgana. She's summoned an army of the dead, they're everywhere!"

Having done what Arthur had asked, Merlin now concentrated on finding Morgana, and stopping her. At least now he had a pretty good chance of finding her. If she had to summon the dead, and they had attacked from within, there was only one place she could have done that. The castle vault.

 **oOo**

Gwen could feel the prince's worry as he talked to Gaius, but he really needed to stop _moving_! She would never be able to take care of his wound if he kept moving his arm about!

"We can't fight a battle on two fronts."

With a sigh, she said for the third time;

"Keep still."

"I don't know how much longer we can hold the citadel we need to get my father to safety!"

"How? We no longer control the lower town...There's no escape Arthur..."

She didn't let it show, but Arthur and Gaius' conversation was worrying her a lot. Their army had two different opponents to fight against now, and they were falling fast. Wounded soldiers came in more and more frequently. They were already outnumbered to begin with...But now, it was a massacre. The enemy was gaining ground.

 **oOo**

Having not found Merlin, Marina had gone back to the vault. She was aware that there wasn't much she could do, but perhaps if Morgana left the vault, she could try to break the staff and stop this madness. She had been waiting for her to leave, but the Lady didn't seem to want to. Maybe she'd have to try going back to find Merlin after all...But what if Morgana left the vault when she was out looking for him? Marina hated not knowing what to do.

Suddenly, her thoughts were shattered as Merlin bust in through the vault, sword in hand, surprising both Morgana and herself. Marina, a little too far from them to hear their subsequent exchange, felt as if she was watching a pantomime. A gut-wrenching, horrifying pantomime. She watched as Morgana regained composure with lightning speed. A few sentences were said, followed by a loud rumble which resounded through the immense vault- it sounded as if it was going to collapse, and soon. Seeing this, Marina prayed for Merlin to hurry the hell up and do something, before they all became pancakes. A few more words were said and Morgana became a little more agitated. She slowly stepped towards Merlin, a strange expression on her face. Biting her lip, Marina silently prayed for him to find a way out of this mess before the King's ward sliced him into pieces. The Lady's voice suddenly rang out across the vault, and for the first time, Marina was able to discern what was said.

"You don't know what it's like to be an outsider! To be _ashamed_ of how you were born, to have to hide who you are!"

At this, her heart went out to Morgana...Yes, she was plotting to kill everyone, yet...Marina could almost understand where Morgana was coming from. She herself suffocated under Uther's rule...How would Morgana be feeling, being the King's _ward_? Marina could tell that Merlin was bursting to tell her how wrong she was, and how much he _did_ understand...He was torn in half.

"Do you think I deserve to be executed because of who I am?"

If only Merlin could get through to her...But it was too late. Her face hardened, and Marina knew that Merlin had lost the battle. She was not going to let herself be drawn to him. Seeing that he could not sway her, Merlin attempted to reach the staff. Unfortunately, to do so he had to get past Morgana, and the latter certainly would not idly stand by and watch.

Marina's gasp echoed that of Merlin's as the king's ward rammed the hilt of her sword into his stomach. She couldn't just do nothing! On the other hand, she did not want to intervene and distract Merlin, which could get him killed. At loss as to what to do, she remained crouched behind a tomb, watching on helplessly. He was doubled over in pain, his sword now on the ground. Morgana held her blade close to his throat, ready to strike. Still, Marina couldn't believe the height of his idiocy when she heard him shout;

"What are you going to do? Kill me?"

That boy had to have a death wish. Well it was going to be answered if he didn't do something quickly!

"If you're going to do it, make it quick."

Marina was itching to slap him on the face. _What the hell was he doing?!_ If only she could use her magic! Perhaps she could! Maybe if she...No. She didn't have any control over it yet, and she could risk hurting Merlin. But then, he'd be dead soon if she didn't come up with something _now._ Her heart stopped as she saw Morgana lunge towards Merlin. Thankfully, he managed to avoid the blow just in time, and picked his sword up. A ferocious battle ensued. Parrying her blows and avoiding others, Merlin managed to hold his own, until Morgana finally knocked his sword out of his hands. Weaponless, all he could do was duck and evade the endless attacks. Marina could not endure seeing him so close to death any longer. Springing from her hiding place, she ran towards Morgana, preparing to call out her name and create a diversion when she realised that Merlin had disappeared. Seconds later, a deafening roar echoed through the vault, and Marina walked backwards as large blocks of stones fell from the ceiling. Morgana had had no time to move away, and had been knocked out cold by the avalanche. The impact caused as the stones hit the floor forced both Marina and Merlin to the ground. As Marina got back up, she caught sight of Merlin running towards the staff, sword in hand. His eyes glowed golden as he recited an incantation, and with a mighty blow, he split the staff in half. A blinding light illuminated the cave for a few seconds; only to die down, leaving the vault in almost complete darkness.

 **oOo**

Fighting for all he was worth, Arthur wondered whether these creatures were ever going to relent. He himself was tiring and could not keep this pace up for much longer. As he was about to strike what would normally have been a fatal blow, the skeleton dismembered, falling to the floor in a pile of dust and bones. Looking down at the pile, the prince asked himself what exactly had just happened. Wasting no further time, he went back into the front line of the battle, reinvigorated at the thought of only having one battle to fight. With all of their soldiers now concentrating on Cenred's army, they managed to regain the ground they had lost, and finally pushed the enemy away further and further until they were forced to retreat.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"Gwen?"

"Yes?"

"It was her."

"Huh?"

"It was Morgana. The one who'd planted the magical vessel in the vault."

"Marina, I know you dislike her, but is that not going a little bit too far?"

"Gwen, I saw it with my own eyes! I was there, in the vault, with her!"

"What?! Why didn't you stop her?!"

"She would have killed me straight away...I had no weapon..."

"Well if you didn't stop her, then who did?"

"Merlin."

" _Merlin?_! Are you sure?"

"Gwen would you stop doubting me!"

Her frustration was mounting. The King had been fooled, she had been fooled. They _all_ had! Except for Merlin. He had seemed to know exactly where to come when things started going odd. He had not looked surprised when he saw Morgana standing in the vault. She was certain that in fact, he had known Morgana was evil all along, but had not told her, or the King, or even Arthur it seemed. _What was he playing at_?

"Marina?"

"What?"

"Does that mean that Morgana has magic?"

Turning to her friend, Marina was unsure as to how much of the truth she could reveal yet. It wasn't in her nature to keep things from her, but if what she knew would put Gwen in danger, she would rather keep it to herself. For now. Shrugging, she left Gwen to mull over what she had told her, and went looking for Merlin. That boy had some serious explaining to do.

 **oOo**

Unaware of Marina's murderous mood, Merlin sat down to dinner with Gaius. He needed answers. He needed comfort. He needed advice. And if anyone could provide him with that, it was Gaius.

"Why is Uther so blind to what she is?"

"I don't know Merlin, it's a mystery. But she will try again."

"I'll be ready for her. I'm not afraid of her Gaius."

"You should be."

"No, all I feel for her is...sad...She's become so bitter so full of hate."

"Don't let that happen to you Merlin."

"Nothing could ever make me that angry..."

" _MERLIN!"_

Arthur sounded angry...Very angry. He opened the door, looking very irritated.

"Get your lazy backside out here."

Looking across at Gaius, a secret smile showed on his face as he whispered;

"On second thoughts..."

Leaving Gaius chuckling, Merlin followed Arthur, hoping that the latter wouldn't be too harsh on him.

 **oOo**

She couldn't let it go. She had to speak to him about it. He might be fine with not being honest, but she couldn't. She had to tell him exactly what was on her mind before she burst and actually killed him. Seeing him walking towards Arthur's chambers, she grabbed him by the sleeve, and started dragging him back the opposite way.

"Marina?! _Marina_ what are you doing?!"

"We're going for a walk."

"What? I can't! I have chores to finish!"

"You'll finish them later."

"Marina, you may have nothing to do but I have plenty, so I need to get back to—"

"What is it that you so desperately need to do then?"

Marina could see that Merlin was completely lost as to why her mood was so foul, and particularly what it had to do with him. Well, if only he let her, she would be able to enlighten him.

"Marina look, we can do this tomorrow; I have to go back to Arthur's chambers, his room needs cleaning, so does his armour, and his boots, and his _floor_...Actually, I also need to change the sheets..."

Letting go of his sleeve, Marina took a deep breath before her blood boiled over. She was tired of Merlin taking her for a fool, lying to her, hiding things from her, telling her only half of the information, acting as if it was okay for him to use her, to talk to her when he needed comfort, but forget her as soon as he didn't need her. She was tired of Arthur treating Merlin like dirt underneath his shoe most of the time, working him to near death, and mocking him in front of everyone, when he in fact was only alive because he had Merlin at his side. And knowing that she had powers but didn't have the control over her emotions that is so crucial to being able to use them safely enraged her even further. What use was she if she had been given a gift that she couldn't control? Heading the other way, towards Arthur's chambers again, she was determined to give him a piece of her mind. She _would_ speak to Merlin today and get answers, regardless of what Arthur thought. Merlin watched her march to the prince's chambers, a worried expression on his face. He saw Marina walk in without even knocking, and minutes later heard;

"Marina? Haven't you ever learnt how to _knock_?! I could have been getting dressed!"

"Yeah, well you weren't so it's fine."

"What? No! No, it's not fine! What's gotten into you, you look like...you look...you look furious."

"I need to speak to Merlin."

The prince looked at her, a confused expression on his face.

"Well, go talk to him..."

"As logical as that sounds, I can't, because 'your royal highness' has given him so much work to do that he can't even spare an hour for a walk."

"An _hour_? What do you need to talk to him about that requires such a long time?!"

"That is not your concern."

Merlin had come in at that point, and had been following the conversation with an increasing sense of impending doom. Intervening, he tried to calm things down.

"She didn't mean that..."

"Shut-up Merlin you know full well that I did."

"Marina, Merlin is my man-servant, not yours, meaning that his duties towards me come before anything else."

"His _duties_? You call changing stinking bed sheets, washing mud filled boots and polishing a dirty floor on your hands and knees _duties_? Who do you think you are?! Try doing what he does for a day, then come back to me and drawl out your ridiculous speech about _duties_!"

"She _really_ didn't mean that..."

"Merlin, leave us for a moment."

"What?"

"Merlin. Leave. And close the door behind you."

She had lost control. Again. And this time, she had a feeling that he was not going to let it slide by. Well, she thought, I've gotten myself in this far, I might as well carry on for all I'm worth.

"It wouldn't kill you to say please either."

"Marina, you do realise that I could throw you in the dungeons for what you've just said to me."

"Go ahead. I don't care."

Sighing, the Prince looked at her with a strange expression on his face.

"So the reason for you abusing me is solely because you want to go for a walk with Merlin?"

God, he had completely missed the point.

"No. Although yes, that's partly why I'm here, the _main_ reason is because I want you to stop treating him like dirt and start being grateful."

"So here we have a maid giving advice to a Prince..."

"You being a Prince does not give you one single ounce more value than if you were a beggar."

Raising an eyebrow, the prince chuckled at what he heard.

"I think it does."

"You may have more riches than I, but when it all comes down to it, you will die, just as I will. You need food, just as I do. You need water, just as I do. You are capable of love, hatred, compassion, anger, sympathy, happiness, sadness, and all that makes us human, all that makes us who we are, just as I am. I would think that fundamentally, we are not so different you and I." As these words left her lips, her anger began to fade and her tone softened.

Marina inwardly hoped that he could understand and grasp the hidden meaning there. That class divisions were fickle, that emotions, such as love, which could bring people together, were much stronger and much more substantial.

"Go have that walk with Merlin, he'll finish his chores later."

"Thank you Sire."

"You are welcome."

Closing the door quietly behind her, she smiled to herself before heading out with Merlin, who had been waiting.

 **oOo**

He couldn't see what she needed to talk to him about so badly... He also couldn't see how exactly she had managed to convince Arthur to let him come with her. Marina, who had kept silent whilst they were walking through the city, led them to a quiet area, where they could talk privately.

"Okay, so what's going on Marina?"

Turning to him, she gazed at him thoughtfully for a while, then said;

"You lied to me."

Huh? Completely thrown, Merlin tried to recall anything that he had said to her that could be remotely close to a lie, but found nothing.

"What are you talking about?"

"Morgana. She's evil. How could you have not told me?"

"That's not a _lie_! It's just...not revealing certain information!"

"Well, it amounts to the same! You hid it from me!"

"I didn't _hide_ it, I just didn't tell you!"

"Merlin stop being so exasperatingly technical! Why did you not tell me?!"

"I was...trying to protect you..."

 _"_ From _what_?!"

"Well, I thought that telling you that the lady you serve and despise was in fact responsible for all the chaos that has been happening lately wouldn't be a wise decision given the fact that you—"

He really didn't want to say it...He knew that she was already on the edge, he didn't want to push her any further.

"That I what?"

But she wasn't going to let it go now, so he might as well tell her...

"That you have a bad temper. I didn't want you to end up fighting with Morgana, perhaps revealing your magic in the process and having her kill you!"

"So you thought you'd keep me in the dark about all of this and let me figure it out for myself?"

"Marina I was trying to help you!"

"Oh so it's fine when you help me but if I try then it's no good?"

She had lost him completely. He had a feeling that there was more to this than what she was letting on...

"I don't understand..."

"Merlin..." Sighing, she sat down on a nearby log, inviting him to sit with her. "I know it sounds like I'm making a big deal out of nothing, but the thing is, I feel like... I feel like..." Fidgeting, she struggled to express herself, to explain to him what it was that made her so upset. He could see that this wasn't easy for her. "I just want to feel like you can trust me. Like you _do_ trust me. But instead, I keep feeling like I'm running into a wall every time I try to help. It's frustrating. You've been such a good friend to me, you're keeping my secret, and I know that I can trust you; but I wish I could offer the same in return. Seeing that you don't quite trust me yet hurts. And when I get upset, I get angry..." She sighed helplessly.

So that was the reason...She was afraid that he didn't trust her...Merlin put his hand over hers, stopping her fidgeting, and was about to reassure her when he suddenly wondered, how did she know that Morgana was evil? Gaius and himself were the only ones who knew. Merlin ruled out the possibility of Gaius telling her; the physician would have told him...How did she know? Taking his hand away abruptly, Merlin asked;

"Marina, how did you find out that Lady Morgana is evil?"

"I saw her in action..."

She saw her in action? What was that supposed to mean? That she'd seen Morgana practice magic?

"When?"

"In the vault. I saw her wielding the staff..."

"You were in the _vault_?!"

Come to think of it, she _had_ disappeared off somewhere at some point. So she had been in the vault with Morgana, and had witnessed what the witch was planning...Merlin felt increasingly uneasy as questions started popping up in his mind. What had Marina being doing there? How had she known Morgana was in the vault? Why hadn't she warned someone when she saw what Morgana was up to? He could see Marina looking at him, wondering why he kept silent. Suddenly, her expression turned to one of hurt when she realised why he wasn't saying anything.

"Please tell me you're not wondering if I'm in league with Morgana. Please tell me you weren't thinking that!"

"Marina look—"

"Here I am, like an _idiot_ , telling you how much I want you to trust me, and the next thing I know, you're jumping to conclusions and thinking the worst of me!"

"Marina, I wasn't thinking that you were involved with Morgana I just..."

His voice trailed off; the lie left a bitter taste on his tongue. He _had_ been wondering if Marina had helped Morgana...But then, who could blame him? How else was she supposed to have known where Morgana was, and not told anyone about what she was doing? She hadn't even shown herself to Merlin when he had been there...

"Fine. I'll tell you. I saw Gaius following Morgana, so I got curious and wanted to know why. Morgana managed to shake Gaius off somehow, but I carried on following her unnoticed. That's how I knew she was in the vault. I'd followed her there. After that, I hid behind a tomb and watched as she used the staff to bring back the dead. I ran out looking for you when I realised what she'd done, but I couldn't find you; you were off somewhere with Arthur. So I went back, hoping that Morgana would leave the staff unattended at some point so I could try to break it somehow. Then you came along, and I guess you know the rest..."

"But why didn't you show yourself to me? Why stay hidden?"

"You walked away as soon as you'd broken the staff, and I did not want to hang around in there long enough for the guards to find me and think that I was behind it all."

Merlin thought about the explanation she had given him, and shamefully realised that she was telling the truth.

"I hope you're satisfied now."

Her tone was icy; she was angry at him, and this time she had a reason to be. He should not have doubted her for a second. She had gotten up and was now walking away from him, as if to leave. He had no intention of them leaving things like this between them. Standing up, he hoped that maybe, if he explained why he had reacted this way, she would understand.

"Marina...I'm sorry for having thought that but...It's not anything against you it's just..."

Now he was the one having trouble expressing himself.

"When Morgana betrayed us and went to the other side with her sister, I lost someone I thought had been a friend. I trusted her yet she broke that trust without any second thoughts...I'm just trying to stay vigilant."

She was looking at him strangely. He wasn't sure whether she was itching to slap him or hug him. Thinking about all he had said, it occurred to her that she couldn't pretend not to understand. After all, hadn't she kept information back from Gwen in order to protect her? Finally, a small smile appeared on her face.

"Merlin, we're being stupid. Both of us."

Walking back to him, she stopped inches away, looking up at him with a slight twinkle in her eyes and whispered;

"Perhaps we should learn to trust each other...Might be simpler that way."

She was shorter than him, her head reached up to his shoulders, which meant that at that moment, he was dominating, something which he rarely got the chance to do with her. Perhaps he would take advantage of...— This was _not_ normal behaviour. He did not normally think like that. Nope, this was most definitely abnormal. Still, Marina was looking at him, fully expecting an answer. He trusted himself enough to speak.

"Perhaps we should..."

His head started to lower, his gaze was on her mouth; his heart beat faster as they came closer together. Suddenly, the image of Freya floating along the river in the boat... burning, hit him with such force that he immediately pulled away. Marina looked at him, both confused and embarrassed. She cleared her throat awkwardly.

"We should get back, Arthur won't be happy if I keep you too long..."

With a nod, Merlin set off with Marina back to the castle. He had a feeling that what had just happened was going to stay with him for a long while.

 **oOo**

How he must be laughing at her. She wouldn't blame him for doing so either. How stupid she had been to allow herself to think that he actually had any interest in her! She had let herself be taken in by his mesmerising eyes, his soft features and cute smile, and had fooled herself into thinking that it all meant something. Perhaps it was better this way...Perhaps if they _had_ kissed, things would have gotten too complicated. Still, she wished, deep down, that something between them had happened; that she could give in to her emotions freely. Well, at least she knew where she stood in the grand scheme of things, at least he hadn't fooled around with her, at least they still had their friendship...At least—

"We should start teaching soon."

Merlin's statement had broken through Marina's attempts at justifying why Merlin not liking her was a good thing. But it meant that she was lost as to what he was referring to.

"Teaching what?"

"I said I'd help with your magic didn't I?"

"Oh! Yes you did!"

She recalled the dreadful night when Merlin had found out her secret. She recalled how she had seen him crying, sobbing over her sleeping form as he believed her dead. She wished that the reason for his pain had been something other than guilt. Okay, time to come back to earth, and actually concentrate on what he's saying, she thought.

"—so I thought I could ask him."

"Yep. Sounds good to me."

"Marina..."

"Yes Merlin?"

"Why pretend? I know you weren't listening to a word I said."

"Hey! I...well I was thinking about other things..."

"What?"

"Excuse me?"

"What were you thinking about?"

She had not expected that question to come up. Hmm...She could tell him the truth. Then again, that would be complete and utter humiliation, so she went for the half-truth instead. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

"I was just...thinking about the night you killed me..."

"I did _not_ kill you. If anything you nearly killed me!"

"Well you deserved it."

"What?!"

"You did!"

"Oh, that reminds me, I meant to ask, what is it from what I said that got you angry?"

Immediately, her face clouded over as the scene of her mother's death once more played in her mind. She was not quite ready to talk about that yet. Feeling a lump forming in her throat, she swallowed hard and hoped that her voice wouldn't sound too unsteady.

"I'll tell you another time...Maybe."

She turned her face away from him so he wouldn't see her eyes brighten with tears.

 **oOo**

Merlin had left Marina to go back to Arthur. He hoped that the latter wouldn't ask too many questions about what Marina had needed to talk to him about.

"So, what was it that Marina needed to talk to you about so badly?"

Great. What was he going to say to that? He racked his brain to find something, but this time nothing came.

"Well? Did she declare her undying love for you?"

Arthur's teasing was a bit too close for comfort. Although he wasn't technically anywhere near the truth, it still reminded Merlin of what had nearly happened. His embarrassment was amplified as he realised that his ears were going red. Arthur would definitely not miss this chance to tease him to death.

"I see you are blushing. Which means that I was right! So come on," The prince hit him on the back. Rather too enthusiastically in fact. "Spill the beans Merlin! Did you kiss her?"

"Arthur, I don't know where you are getting all this from. We just talked."

"Then why are you blushing?"

"Because...because you're suggesting things that are...embarrassing!"

"You see Merlin...Usually, people don't blush unless they have a guilty conscience; and I think that you actually like Marina but you're too much of a wimp to tell her."

"Well you're wrong."

"Merlin, look. I'm not stupid. It's obvious what's going on here. And it's quite convenient too..."

"Huh?"

"She's Morgana's maid...you are my servant."

"Yes thanks for reminding me..."

"You're not listening. She is in the same position as you. Nothing, and I mean _nothing_ is there to keep you apart, so why on earth are you not taking this chance and telling her how you feel?!"

Since when had Arthur become so...so...sentimental?! And concerned about his love life? Or rather the lack of it. "Because it's just not...possible."

"Why not?"

"Look, Arthur, I appreciate you trying to help but I think that you're talking about Gwen and yourself."

"Why are you changing the subject?"

"I'm not! But just as a side note, just because she's a maid doesn't mean that you have no future together. When you become King, you can change all that."

"Merlin, this has nothing to do with you and besides, I don't know what you're talking about. Neither do you actually."

"Arthur. I know having Guinevere leave with Lancelot was difficult for you, it was a shock to all of us, but you can't just pretend that you feel nothing for Gwen. I've seen the way you look at her."

It occurred to Merlin that what he was saying to the Prince was slightly hypocritical given the fact that he was acting exactly the same way. Perhaps he should take his own advice before asking others to do so...

"Merlin..."

The Prince had that look. The look that he usually had when he was about to say something really inspirational and wise, which didn't happen too often. Merlin waited for him to speak. Finally, he said;

"My floor still needs to be cleaned."

Sighing, Merlin took the bucket and cloth, intending to get fresh water from the well.

 **oOo**

"Marina? Marina what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"It's not nothing. You've hardly said a word all evening. Normally you're chirping away! Did something happen with Merlin?"

Gwen had hit the nail straight on the head, and she could tell. At the mention of his name, Marina, who seldom blushed, turned the slightest shade of pink. However, knowing that something was up, and extracting it from Marina were two very different things.

"Did you guys fight again?"

"Why again? It's not like we always fight!"

"Marina, you're often bickering."

"Yeah, but that's different."

"Okay fair enough, so what happened?"

"Nothing."

"Did you tell him that you liked him?"

At the thought of it, Marina looked horrified.

"No! Never! I couldn't ever!"

"Can I ask you one thing? How can you expect to find out if he likes you if you don't tell him how you feel?"

"I don't! And anyway, I already know..."

"What? And?!"

Gwen already knew the answer she would get before she even asked. Marina looked beaten. She hated seeing her friend so depressed; it was so unlike her. Still, no matter what she said, or what had happened, Gwen was sure that Merlin liked her friend... A lot. There was just something holding him back, but what, she couldn't tell. Maybe it was time to have a word with Merlin.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

As Merlin walked back to Gaius' chambers, he thought about the conversation he had had with Arthur. It was true, nothing was keeping them apart...Except for Freya. And his general fear of losing someone he loved. He knew that being with her, accepting her and keeping her close to him would only put her in danger. It was too late for him to keep her away from all the magical dangers; she was already well on her way to running into a few of those. But he needed to keep her away from him. For her sake. He did not know how many enemies he would make, but what he did know was that they tended to hurt people you love to get to you. He didn't want any harm to come to Marina, and keeping his distance seemed like the best way to do that...Perhaps proposing to teach her magic hadn't been the wisest decision after all... It would mean spending a lot of time with her, and he wasn't sure how long he could go on battling against his feelings.

"You look preoccupied...Are you okay?"

At the sound of Gwen's voice, Merlin looked up in surprise. Surely she should have finished work with Gaius by now, it was late.

"Gaius has gone to sort a few things out, he'll be back soon."

"Oh, okay..."

Even more confused, Merlin wondered what was so urgent for Gaius not to be able to wait until morning to sort out.

"Truth is, I stayed because I wanted to talk to you...In private."

Oh please! Let Marina not have told Gwen about what happened, even if the chances of that were pretty slim...

"I don't know what happened between you,"

Thank God.

"But whatever it is, it's not good."

"What do you mean?"

"Marina is sad. She won't own up to it, or tell me what happened, but I'd like you to try cheer her up and amend whatever it is you've done."

"I haven't done anything!"

Visibly exasperated, Gwen scowled at him. Something that was quite rare coming from her.

"Honestly! You are both so headstrong! Why can't you just tell each other how you feel and actually just…get on with it! Nothing is stopping you so why deny it?"

"Look Gwen, I already had this conversation with Arthur and—"

"Arthur knows about this?!"

"Yes...Well, he _thinks_ he knows..."

"And he told you what I've just said?"

"Yes..."

"Then maybe you will actually listen this time and _tell_ her."

"There's nothing _to_ tell!"

"Merlin, I would advise you to hurry up and tell her how you feel before someone else comes and takes her away. She's not going to wait for you forever. One day, she will get tired of waiting, someone will come along and...poof, she'll be gone. Think about that..."

She was right, and he knew it. But what she didn't know were the complications that made it all impossible. Perhaps in another situation, he would have taken her advice, but there were too many things holding him back, keeping him from telling Marina how he truly felt.

 **oOo**

Gwen returned to their chambers. She smiled as she saw her friend, who had succumbed to exhaustion and was now sleeping deeply. They had both gone through so many trials and changes; it had not been an easy decision for them to leave the village, but they'd had no choice. Getting herself ready for bed, Gwen thought about the situation Merlin and Marina were in. She hadn't wanted to push Merlin into doing something he did not want to do, and yet she was certain that he did feel something for Marina; there was just something holding him back...

"Gwen?"

"Oh Marina! I'm sorry I woke you!"

Her voice sleepy, Marina chuckled before saying:

"Don't be daft, it wasn't you."

"What woke you then? You were fast asleep when I came in."

"I was just wondering... Whether Arthur and yourself had taken the leap of faith yet..."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, you're preaching to both Merlin and I, telling us to get a move on but you're no better!"

How did Marina know?! She had said nothing about going to see Merlin!

Her friend gave her a cheeky grin before enlightening her.

"I know you too well Gwen, I knew that you were going to end up talking to him sooner or later... Although I don't actually know if Arthur has spoken to Merlin; that was just a wild guess thrown in to amplify the effect."

"He has..."

"Yeah, well anyway, are planning to take your own advice? I should hope so because otherwise there is no way you can expect us to take you both seriously..."

Gwen knew that this was Marina's way of telling her to jump before it was too late...But did she want to? Part of her did, and yet another part was afraid of what that would mean for both of them... Would Arthur consider her, or just brush her off as an insignificant maid? Would she be able to bear the fact that they could never cross the great social divide that lay between them? Would she be able to love him from a distance? Perhaps it was better if she found someone more on her grounds... So many of these questions had been spinning around in her head for a few days now, but she could never answer any of them. She guessed she'd have to take that leap to find out...

 **oOo**

"What did you need to sort out so urgently?"

Gwen had just left when Gaius came back.

"Oh, I just wanted some fresh air..."

"That's not what Gwen told me..."

Looking at him, the physician smiled, then said:

"She wanted to talk to you and preferred if you were left alone."

Silence ensued. Just as Merlin thought that he ought to get ready for bed, Gaius tentatively asked,

"Is everything okay?"

He thought about telling the old man everything- perhaps he could shed some light as to what he could do, whether the decisions he was making were wise. But it would only worry the physician...No, he wouldn't tell him.

"Yes...of course it is..."

Gaius did not look convinced. Gazing at him pensively, he suddenly asked,

"Do you remember the mandrake root you found under Uther's bed?"

"Yes of course..."

"Do you know that only beings with magic can hear its cries?"

"Well, no I didn't but I guess you learn new things every day..." Why was Gaius telling him all this?

"That day in Uther's chambers, when you threw the root into the fire to destroy it, it let out a piercing scream...Marina heard it."

Oh. That was why.

Gaius was waiting for an answer. Seeing that none came, he stepped closer to Merlin. "I know this isn't easy for you, but I am here to help Merlin, if you don't tell me, I can't help you..."

Merlin nodded, and proceeded in explaining all that had happened with Marina, from the point where she discovered he had magic. Of course, he omitted the nearly-but-not-quite-having-happened kiss. Gaius did not need to know about that.

"You need to start training her as soon as possible."

"I know. I'm planning to ask Arthur for some time off tomorrow..."

"The first thing to teach her is how to gain control over her emotions. That is very important Merlin; it is something without which she can never hope to use her powers effectively."

"Don't you think it strange though? That she has such a powerful gift and yet she has never been aware of it?"

"It does happen sometimes, a person can remain unaware of their gift until something triggers it. But you must make sure that you train Marina as thoroughly as you possibly can and teach her everything that you know. God only knows what challenges Morgana and Morgause will throw at you; Marina could prove to be a very powerful ally in time..."

Gaius' words reminded Merlin of the mysterious lady that had appeared the night he'd found out about Marina's powers...What was her role in all of this? Why did she care about Marina so? And what had _really_ happened the night she had fallen ill? For some reason, he had a feeling all these questions somehow were all connected to each other, were all pieces of one huge puzzle...Merlin realised that he could only ever hope to start putting the pieces back together with Marina's help...

 **oOo**

"Ahhh! I see...At least I think I do...Actually, I got nothing of that..."

Gwen's face was screwed up in sheer confusion; Prince Arthur was going way too fast for her to see a thing he was doing, let alone understand. To her embarrassment, Arthur sighed as he realised that she was still confused after the fifth time of his showing her the move. He had told her to accompany him to the training grounds that morning in order for them to start the training.

"Look, it's quite simple..."

After having executed the move again, Arthur turned to her, clearly hoping that she had understood this time.

"I'm sorry, but I just...I can't...I can't see what you're doing, you're going too fast!"

She saw the Prince raise an eyebrow, consider her statement for a moment, then finally speak.

"I get it. You're one of those touchy persons..."

"Excuse me?!"

"I mean, you need to physically be taken through it..."

Not comprehending a thing the Prince was saying, Gwen was completely surprised when he came to stand behind her and held her hands in his, swishing the sword around, in the same way he had been doing for the past five minutes. Being so close to Arthur made her feel almost giddy. She could smell his manly scent, and feel the warmth of his skin... It did not help. Gosh, out of all people, she had to go and fall for the Prince of Camelot...She so was in trouble if she did not regain control soon. Heart pounding in her chest, she struggled to concentrate on the move she was supposed to be learning. But her thoughts strayed to what Marina had said the night before...Was it time to take that leap?

"Get it now?"

"Huh?"

"Tell me you haven't just been staring off into space Gwen!"

Blushing ashamedly, she tried to look anywhere but to his face...Unfortunately, Arthur was not going to let her get away with it.

"Okay, look, we'll do this one last time, except that this time, you will actually concentrate."

The Prince leaned in closer as he regained his hold on Gwen's hands and sword. Gwen tried to clear her mind as she breathed deeply a few times, allowing herself to take in the new move. Once Arthur was satisfied that Gwen had actually paid attention to him, he released her. The prince returned to his initial position, just opposite Gwen and watched her carefully as she practised the move on her own.

Eventually, after many attempts, Gwen was able to execute the move perfectly on her own. Sword in hand, Arthur now instructed her to prepare herself to block his attack using the move she had just learnt. Gwen felt her heart skip a beat. She looked on in horror as she watched the Prince prepare himself to attack. She had had her fair share of embarrassment to last a year! She had to get this right! Gwen shook her fear away as she assumed the correct stance, and readied herself. Arthur's attack came fast, but Gwen's instincts kicked in, and she parried the blow faultlessly.

Clearly impressed, the Prince lowered his sword, a smile on his face.

"Well well, I wasn't expecting such a fast response! Maybe, one day, you will end up as a skilled swordsman, I mean woman!"

Knowing that compliments were hard to obtain from the Prince, Gwen felt immediately pleased upon hearing this. Maybe she could redeem her recent embarrassments after all.

"Before you leave, I'd like to ask, why did you come to Camelot?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I know that your village was raided but, there must have been survivors..."

"Oh...yes, my family did survive, I was luckier than Marina in that sense..."

The prince's eyes widened as he grasped Gwen's meaning.

"Marina's family was killed?"

"Well, she only had her mother left but yes, she died in the attack..."

"I see... So she came to Camelot to find work...But what about yourself? Why not stay with your family?"

"I have a very large family; six sisters and two brothers. Food is scarce, and providing for the entire family became almost impossible, so I left with Marina to find work, and hopefully ease the burden a little...One less mouth to feed isn't much, but it's at least something..."

The prince looked at her with such compassion and understanding that she felt she might burst into tears. She wouldn't normally tell her family history to the first stranger who asked but then, the Prince had long stopped being a stranger to her, and had become a friend who she could count on. He took a step forward, hesitating a little, before enveloping her into his arms. Gwen tensed up at the unexpected hug, before relaxing into it. Closing her eyes, she dared to dream. Then, just as quickly as it had come, the moment ended, leaving her a little flustered. The prince smile and picked up his sword. Before leaving, Arthur turned round to address her;

"See you tomorrow, same time, same place."

Gwen felt the playful wind at her feet; the corners of her lips pressed against her crimson cheeks as she watched him walk away.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 18**

Thoughtful, Merlin headed towards Arthur's chambers. How was he to ask him what he wanted without arousing suspicion...?

"Ah! Merlin!"

"Arthur? Why are you in your—"

"I was showing Gwen some fighting moves"

"I bet you were..."

"Excuse me?!"

"Nothing! I just...I need a favour..."

"A _favour_?!"

"I need the afternoon off..."

"What?! What for?"

"Erm...Well...A friend needs help and—"

"A friend? Which friend?"

"A friend..."

"Yeah, Merlin we've already established that...What's the name? Or rather _her_ name?"

"I did not say it was a girl!"

"You didn't have to Merlin. Now, who is it?"

Squirming under his gaze, Merlin hated having to tell Arthur who it was that he was helping; he knew the prince well enough by now to know _exactly_ was would be coming next. "It's Marina."

"Marina? Ah! I see! And what is it that she needs help with?"

Oh God.

"Erm...Well, she needs erm...inside information on how to serve Lady Morgana?"

"Right. You're making this up...please tell me you're making this up..."

"Well..."

"Just admit it Merlin!"

"Admit what?"

"That you like her."

Oh God. Not _again_.

"I do not."

"Oh, sorry, bad phrasing there, I meant, that you _love_ her."

"I don't!"

"Uh-uh...So you're asking me for the afternoon off to see someone you don't like...?"

"I do like her—"

"AHAH! Finally! You admit!"

"—as a friend."

"Merlin, if you don't tell me the truth about your feelings then I will not give you that afternoon..."

"That's so unfair-!"

"Nope, it's called a deal."

"No, it's called blackmail!"

"Merlin...!"

"Fine, I'll admit! But you know that the only reason I'll be admitting anything is because you're forcing me to admit it so that I can get the afternoon off!"

"Just come out with it!"

"Okay...fine!" An awkward silence filled the room as Arthur waited for Merlin to make his confession. He really, really wished Marina was here so she could lash out at Arthur; perhaps even drown him like she had nearly done to Merlin not so long ago...

"Weeelll?"

Avoiding his gaze, Merlin tried to say it like it was no big deal, something he had to say just to get himself out of this ridiculous situation...But the words stayed stuck in his throat, as if he was afraid of uttering them. Taking a deep breath, he finally let it out. "I do, I love her."

"There you go! Not so difficult now is it?"

"I hope you're happy!"

"Oh yes, _now_ I can blackmail you! But be happy, you now have the afternoon off!"

Intending to leave, Merlin walked towards the doorway, until he remembered something. "Hey Arthur, remember when you challenged King Olaf? What did you say to him again? Oh yeah, I think it was something like; 'I would rather die than deny my feelings, I _love_ your daughter with all my heart...' I wonder what Gwen would say if I told her...maybe I should go right away and—"

"Merlin. If you utter so much as _one_ word of this stupid...stupid... _nonsense_ , I will personally ensure that you are beheaded with a _fork_."

"Can I have all my Thursday afternoons off then?"

"Shut up, Merlin."

"Okay...Guess I'm just going to have to remind you of that little cuddle you and Lady Vivian shared in her bed—"

"Merlin. I warned you."

"Thursday afternoons off?"

"That's only _if_ you've done eeeverything I've asked you to do before the afternoon."

"Fine, deal."

"Fine. Now get out of my sight."

Happy with the result, Merlin left Arthur's chambers to find Marina and tell her everything that had just happened. Well, on second thoughts, not quite everything.

 **oOo**

Marina spun round as she heard Merlin's voice calling out to her. She smiled as she watched him run towards her, very much looking like an excited little boy. She waited as he caught his breath back, head down, hands on knees. The incident that had taken place had all but been forgotten now...Or at least they were _pretending_ they'd forgotten...

"Ma...ri...na..."

"Merlin, just concentrate on breathing for now."

Her humorous tone made him smile as he straightened back up.

"Guess what?"

"What?"

"No no, guess."

From the sheer size of his grin, Marina thought that whatever it was that had happened, it was good news. "Erm...You...erm...Arthur finally recognised the part you play in protecting him from evil bad guys?"

"What?! No!"

"Oh...Err I really don't know!"

"I got the afternoon off!"

"Oh...! That's...great?"

Completely confused now, Marina looked at Merlin, wondering if he hadn't gone off and hit himself on the head...repeatedly.

"No, I mean, I got every Thursday afternoons off!"

Yep, he'd definitely damaged something.

"Okayy..."

"Marina! It means we can practice!"

Understanding finally dawned as she realised what he was saying. "OH!Oh that's great! Oh but how did you manage to get Arthur to—"

"Doesn't matter...Really, it doesn't matter..." His face had taken on a peevish expression, and Marina felt as if he'd done something he didn't want to tell her.

"Did he make you do something embarrassing in return or something? Knowing him I wouldn't be surprised..."

"Nope! Nothing. Didn't do anything..."

"Okayy..." Marina could see him getting more and more embarrassed as their conversation progressed, so she took pity on him and let it go...She'd find out someday.

"Okay so shall we go?"

"Go?"

"Well, I didn't ask for my afternoon off for nothing!"

"Oh! Oh well, yeah, I mean, I've just about finished my chores so I guess we could!"

Excitement, anticipation, and perhaps a slight tinge of dread coursed through her as she imagined herself exploring her powers with Merlin at her side. Once upon a time, it would have been more than she would have ever hoped for, now; she wasn't entirely sure how she felt about it. Hopefully, nothing embarrassing would happen this time.

 **oOo**

Merlin smiled to himself as he and Marina walked towards the vast empty field near Camelot. This was going to be extremely interesting.

"I don't get it! Why are we going to a big, flat and totally unsheltered field when we're supposed to practice magic? Surely we'd be seen there!"

"Wait and see."

Finally arriving in the field, Merlin motioned for Marina to sit down on the grass. Obediently she sat, and looked up at him expectedly, waiting for him to start the 'lesson'. He sat opposite her, and smiling, he proceeded in explaining to her what he had planned to do for today.

"Right. The reason we came here is because you're not going to be doing any magic."

"What? But—"

"Hang on; the first thing you need to learn is self-control."

"What?! I have _plenty_ of self-control! What are you—?"

Merlin couldn't help but laugh; she'd proven his point perfectly.

"Stop laughing at me!"

"Close your eyes."

"What for?! No! You'll do something to me!"

Shaking his head in mock disapproval, he grinned and tried again.

"Marina, just close them."

"Okay fine but I swear if you even think about doing anything, I will—"

"Shhh...You talk too much."

"Shut up! Honestly you're just as bad as—"

He stopped her speech of indignation short by putting his finger on her lips. Looking very unsure of how she should react, she looked at him for a moment, as if searching for an answer in his eyes; then finally closed her own, as he had asked.

"Right, now tune everything out... Just listen to your surroundings..." He heard her very unladylike snort and wondered how long this would take. "Breathe in deeply, and just listen..."

Gradually, he saw her muscles relax, and heard her breathing become deeper and more regular. It was rare for him to see her like this, so completely relaxed. Usually she was either angry or tense or just apprehensive. She looked so peaceful...

"Would you stop staring?"

"Huh? I'm not! Staring..."

"I can feel you looking at me so don't lie!"

How was she able to tell if he eyes were closed?! Slightly intrigued, Merlin decided to wave his fingers in front of her face and see what happened.

"Merlin will you stop it you're ruining my peace!"

Okay. Strange.

"You idiot, I can see the shadow."

Ohh! Oops. Now it made sense! Although it still didn't explain how she had known he had been looking at her.

"So what's next?"

"I want you to do this whenever you get angry."

"Eh?"

"When someone makes you angry, whatever the reason, I want you to do exactly what you've just done."

"Merlin. Please tell me you don't seriously expect me to close my eyes and daydream whilst Prince Arthur is mocking me rather than give him a slap?"

He smiled. It was nice to have the Marina he knew back. He had thought that being alone together again would feel a little awkward, but they were back to what they always did; bickering.

"Do you want to take control of your powers or not?"

"Yes but—"

"Well then, to do that you need to learn self-discipline. Your powers are clearly linked with your emotions... If you can't control them how can you ever hope to control your powers?"

"Okay point made...But—"

"Will you ever learn to just...say yes?"

"No! Not when I'm being—"

Seeing his raised eyebrow and slight smile, Marina managed to catch herself in time. With supreme effort, she breathed in deeply and closed her eyes. Ten seconds later, she opened her eyes, grinned and said;

"Yup. Whatever you say Merlin!"

Well, it seemed that she might just make it, thought Merlin. And with that, they both set off to return to the castle.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Was it lust? Was that really all it was? Arthur, unable to stop moving for more than a few seconds at a time, had been walking in circles for a good 10 minutes now. The Kingdom had been relatively peaceful of late, which meant that he had nothing to distract himself from the matters of his heart…At least he hoped that's what it was. He was still more than a little bitter about Guinevere's sudden departure, but Gwen's calming presence had begun to soothe the pain away. Now, he found himself wanting to see her more and more. But it wasn't love. No. It was…Arthur shook his head, exasperated. He didn't know what the hell it was.

"Arthur?"

"Ah. Merlin!"

"Are you okay?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't I? What a stupid question!"

Merlin looked at him, knowing full well that there was a reason for him pacing around the room, not being able to stand still.

"Do you want to...talk?"

"What? No! There is nothing to talk about...Besides, you wouldn't understand."

"That's right. I know nothing about women...But still..."

It took a while for the blatant insinuation to sink into the prince's preoccupied mind.

"Merlin! I said nothing about any woman and...and..."

Merlin was obviously enjoying Arthur's floundering; this was not fair. Merlin's life was so easy, no problems, no worries about social rankings and potential forbidden love. Sometimes he regretted having been born into a noble family.

"I'll just get your armour ready for tomorrow..."

"Tomorrow?"

"The training session? With the knights?"

"Oh, right. Yes."

He really needed a distraction to put his mind off Gwen before he drove himself mad.

 **oOo**

"Marina?"

"Yes my lady?"

"Could you please come and brush my hair."

This was unusual. Marina was used to tending to the Lady now, but she was seldom asked to brush her hair at this time. It was late, and Marina had only come in to make sure that she did not need anything else before she herself went to bed. Usually, Morgana would just wave her off or such like. Taking the brush that lay on Morgana's dresser, she waited for her to come over and sit down. Instead, Marina's surprise grew when Morgana patted her bed.

"No no, come here. Sit with me; it's much more comfortable."

The lady's sudden change of behaviour threw her completely. What was going on?! Obediently, she sat on the edge of the bed, whilst Morgana manoeuvred herself so as for her back to be facing Marina. Taking her long, silky hair in her hands, Marina rhythmically started brushing her Lady's hair. In the silence, she thought of how, back home, she had longed for a sister. She had dreamed of how they would run in the fields together, how she could show her all the best hiding places to go and play...Of course, that sister had never come...her mother had never remarried. Instead, Marina had found Gwen. She never talked about it, but somewhere deep within her, she secretly wished she had a sister, one who shared her blood and ancestors... Morgana's voice broke through Marina's gloomy train of thought.

"Isn't it difficult for you...Staying here whilst you have no family?"

Although Lady Morgana had never before taken any interest in her circumstances, Marina answered.

"It's okay...I have Gwen..."

"But what about your father, mother...sisters and brothers?

Not this question again. Marina realised that she would have to deal with the fact that her mother had died sooner or later. She couldn't keep pushing the fact away. Breathing in deeply, she whispered; "I have no family."

Morgana turned around to look at her, eyes wide.

"You have no family?! What happened?"

She knew that she had to be careful. She couldn't forget who Morgana was; that she was the one who had plotted against Uther and readily delivered them to Cenred's army. She was the traitor amongst them. Yet she had to tread carefully, if she was too reserved, Morgana might just start getting suspicious about what Marina knew...besides, it couldn't hurt to tell Morgana what had happened.

"My father died when I was just a baby...My mother never remarried...and so I don't have any sisters or brothers. Just before Gwen and I came here, there was an attack on our village. My mother did not survive."

Morgana gazed at Marina for a while. She seemed almost...sympathetic. Then she took Marina's hand in hers, and said;

"I am so sorry."

Morgana looked so full of sorrow, so full of sympathy that it almost brought Marina to tears. Looking at her, she just could not comprehend how. Her hand still in hers, she wondered how it was that a person so seemingly gentle and understanding could be so evil, and plot against a whole population.

"But I have Gwen. With me, she's like the sister I never had..."

"You also have me."

 _What?!_ Morgana's hand released her own only to rest it upon her shoulder.

"I know I have been harsh with you these past few months, but I have been under a lot of strain. Perhaps we can start again, and be friends?"

Marina looked at Morgana in complete confusion. What exactly was going on? This woman was _evil_. Offerings of friendship should be the last thing she should be doing! Had she had a change of heart? No, that wasn't possible. Was Morgana manipulating her? No that couldn't be...She has no reason to...Morgana did not know what Marina knew about her... Seeing no other choice, Marina smiled at Morgana.

"Thank you, I would like nothing more my Lady."

"Then start calling me Morgana, please. It is late now, and I should let you go, but perhaps next time, you can tell me more about yourself, and we can get to know each other?"

"Of course. Sleep well my Lady."

"Marina..."

"Yes?" Realising the meaning of Morgana's sweet smile, she corrected herself. "Sleep well...Morgana."

"You too Marina."

As she blew out the candle, Marina tried making sense of everything that had just happened. She knew Morgana was evil, she had seen it with her own eyes, so why was she trying so hard to be nice? Was it to keep suspicion away from her? Did Morgana know that Marina had magic? Chewing her bottom lip, she left the Lady's chambers, more determined than ever to get to the bottom of what had become a perilous situation.

 **oOo**

Merlin sat on his bed, thinking. Now that Morgana's attempt to capture Camelot had failed, she was sure to try again. His worry deepened as he began to imagine what plans the two sisters would concoct next. 'How about making it rain acid?' he thought darkly, 'Or maybe they'll settle for an army of huge stinking trolls this time.' Looking up at the cracked ceiling above his head, he sighed, and for the first time wished his name wasn't Merlin. He wished his destiny wasn't linked with Morgana's, he wished his life wasn't heading straight for doom and gloom. He wished for a normal, simple life, which he could lead in complete contentment. Away from troubles of the mind and heart, away from all that threatened to harm his close ones. A cottage would be nice. A small cottage with a fireplace and a vegetable patch behind it. Laughing quietly to himself, Merlin pictured Marina running after a rabbit with a pan in her left hand, screaming blue murder, for it had dared to nibble on one of their cabbages. Shaking his head, he put an end to it, for this joyous fantasy was all it was, a fantasy.

His reality was much darker.

oO **[** END OF PART 1 **]** Oo

 **Author's note** :

Firstly, I would like to thank my readers for their continued support, writing this Fanfic has been an incredibly fun and beneficial experience for me. I am pleased to say that I am currently working on part 2, which will take the characters into completely uncharted waters! I hope you will travel along with them as they discover a whole new Kingdom! I have included a small teaser for it here; enjoy!

 **oOo**

Merlin **[** part 2 **]** – _Damien's Portals_

 **oOo**

The wave hit him square in the chest, strong enough to force him onto his knees. Merlin fought to steady his ragged breath, a big bubble of nausea inching its way up slowly. Clamping a shaky hand on his mouth, he concentrated on his breathing in an attempt to abate the sickness. The peculiar feeling expanding in his chest let him know that only those with an affinity to magic would have felt it. Its sheer force sent waves of magical energy so refined and honed that the result was akin to a sharp razor, slicing through magically gifted beings like butter.

'Merli…n!'

Making her way towards him, a painful expression on her face, Marina groaned. What the hell was that?! She felt as if she had been split in half by a huge, impossibly large sword. Her insides burned, and her head felt foggy at best. Reaching Merlin, it only took a glance for her to see that he felt the same way, if not worse.

'What's going on?!'

Worried, he managed to stand up. When he spoke, Marina noticed the strain in his voice.

'I don't know, but I'm not waiting around to find out. Something is very wrong.'

 **oOo**


End file.
